Life Is Strange The Lost Daughter Episode 1 Reqiuem
by WickDaLine
Summary: [Prequel to After the Storm] Rachel POV. Six months in a coma from her overdose and the life of Rachel Amber is reborn from the Lazarus program constructed by the corporate Chrysalis. Rachel finds herself in a place where she can no longer be in Arcadia Bay until she proves worthy to the company to take down the sinister terrorist cult El Eterno. The only way to win her life back.
1. The Coup

**Note: For those who have been following my season two story, I'd like to say that my prequel titled "The Lost Daughter" begins here my fellow readers. For those who haven't read my season two story all the way through, I suggest reading that all the way through first before reading this prequel. Before the Storm will be out in less than a week from now and so I'm posting the first two chapters of the first episode to the Lost Daughter. Like Before the Storm, this prequel will contain only three episodes. As I still have my season three story to go about writing, I have thought about completing the first episode of this prequel to season two first. So sit tight and enjoy my prequel to season two. Happy reading!**

 ***Readers discretion is advised* This chapter will contain intensive and graphic violence towards real life political affairs. If the reader chooses to skip to end, stop at 'SKIP HERE' to skip to the end titles of this chapter. Thank you for your discretion.**

 **WITH RESPECT: This chapter features a fictional coup of Bolivian President Evo Morales. I did not write this chapter to begin foreign political controversy. I wrote this only to introduce the main conflict for the narrative of this work of fiction. I appreciate your understanding. Once again, thank you for your discretion.**

 **WickDaLine presents...**

 **A Life is Strange fan fiction...**

Chapter 1 The Coup

October 22nd, 2013

4:56 PM

Portland, Oregon

Chrysalis HQ

 **Two weeks after the storm...**

It was a calm and tranquil early evening for Portland. The sun set shined across the city and through the CEO office windows like the clouds of heaven. It had been two weeks since Arcadia Bay was vanquished by an enormous cyclone of destruction. One that had been mysteriously caused unnaturally. This day had marked the six month anniversary of my disappearance. Six months after my mundane fate. Six months after my humdrum and petty death held responsible by a narcissists rich boy and a bonifide pedophile in the so-called dark room.

Little did I know I was to be resurrected by a corporate organization named Chrysalis. After my overdose, my body was delivered to Chrysalis confidentially and my death would remain a forgery. Since then, I was medically induced in a coma until the Chrysalis science team could figure out how to bring me back to my next breath.

A woman in a lab coat and with red hair stood inside the CEO office of the Chrysalis headquarters with the CEO himself. The man running Chrysalis himself sat on a chair that was piece of furniture in the room. The man himself was sharp bald and wore a jacket tie with slacks and loafers. He smoked a cigar with an ashtray on the table while the read haired woman, who had been a senior science officer of Chrysalis, stared at the glass windows overlooking the city below.

"Rachel did everything right," said the woman. "She was an everyday hero to Blackwell. Before her kidnapping by Mark Jefferson. And now people believe she's dead. Leaving her girlfriend Chloe Price behind with that childhood cutlet Max Caulfield. The one who let half the people of Arcadia Bay die so Chloe could live. In the end, it never ends."

"Caulfield and Price may be together," said the man. "But Rachel remains our best hope."

"But everyone believes she's dead. Ms. Caulfield and Price especially. And then Nathan Prescott dies by Jefferson's hand. We both know Ms. Amber is ever so living as long as she rests in her coma. And now there appears to be coup by quantum terrorist that started a war in Bolivia."

"And it's up to us to stop that."

"If Rachel lives, she won't know who we are. She'll never accept our offering. Even after what Chrysalis has accomplished. Hopefully, she'll follow us no matter what happens. Ms. Amber is hero and a once proud icon to Blackwell. But she's just one young woman. If we loose Rachel, Chrysalis might well follow."

"Then see to it that we don't loose her."

 ***SKIP HERE***

October 22nd, 2013

8:56 AM

La Paz, Bolivia

Miraflores Centro

 **Eight hours earlier...**

In a world now run by an evil terrorist cult named El Eterno, lead by an evil Bolivian warlord named Hugo Alvarez, now rules the city great city of La Paz and the entire country of Bolivia. A day ago, the city had been attacked by El Eterno. Killing nearly half the population and chastising the rest. With the city now overthrown by the sinister cult themselves, it was time to begin the coup of Bolivian President Evo Morales.

President Morales was being dragged on his feet and carried by the arms from two El Eterno mercenaries. His wrists was restrained by rope and was being dragged down a path from a small warehouse in Miraflores Centro to a car that would take him to the capital building in Plaza Murillo to be executed on live television. The path Morales was being carried was guarded by El Eterno soldiers and guard dogs. A path to a demise injustice.

In this hour of darkness, the voice of Hugo Alvarez himself was heard on an intercom echoed across the city. Announcing the dawn of new era of an evil empire that would denounce the Presidential regime of Morales and crown Alvarez as Bolivia's new dictatorship under the new management of El Eterno.

 _"¡Hoy, nos levantamos de nuevo como una nación_ _(Today, we rise again as one nation),"_ said Hugo Alvarez via intercom. _Ante la traición y la corrupción! (In the face of betrayal and corruption!)_

The mercenaries made it to the car. They loaded the president into the back of the vehicle. One of the mercs smacked the stock of his gun on the president's forehead to knock him down on his seat when attempting to reach for outside. The shut the door next to him as the car started driving.

A man in a jacket with buzzcut holding an uzi gun siting on the front passenger seat next to the driver turned his head toward the back seat where the captive president had his wrist bound together with rope just to check on on him. He turned his head forward to where the car was driving. As the driver had his foot on the pettle driving down the ruined streets of La Paz, Alvarez's voice was heard on the intercom again.

 _"Todos confiaron en este hombre para entregar a nuestra gran nación en una nueva prosperidad (We all trusted this man to deliver our great nation into a new prosperity),"_ the new dictator continued.

The man with the buzzcut gave the driver directions to the execution point in Plaza Murillo. The streets were occupied with jogging Eterno soldiers and rolling tanks. Phone rang from the buzzcut man's pocket. The buzzcut man had a european accent. Specifically Russain. The man spoke on the phone to take the call and spoke in Russian. Ensuring the call that the president was on his way to his death poll. He turned his head backward again, said his last words, and hung up.

 _"Pero al igual que nuestra democracia antes de la revolución, ha estado en connivencia con el norte con sólo interés propio en el corazón! (But like our democracy before the revolution, he has been colluding with the north with only self-interest at heart!)"_

The car continued driving down the roads of Bolivia. Demilitarized with tanks and mercenies. Civilians fleeing for mercy. There was one civvie that ran and bumped beside the car. The driver vividly hit the breaks as the the unarmed local knocked on the windows before he was shot to death by Eterno with a dog chasing their target. The driver pressed his foot on the gas pad to continue route to Plaza Murillo.

 _¡La colusión engendra esclavitud y no seremos esclavizados! (Collusion breeds slavery and we shall not be enslaved!)"_

The car drove through tenement streets where locals of men, women, and children were be executed and gunned down by mercs brutally. Whether they'd had their hands behind their head or lyied down on the ground, they were instantly murdered with lead to their heart or skull. Some locals were even forced to run off only to be clipped down by mercs aiming their rifles down at the innocents. A reign of terror rising from the ashes of La Paz in a once pieceful country.

 _"Ha llegado el momento de mostrar nuestra verdadera fuerza. Subestiman nuestra determinación. Demostrar que no los tememos. (The time has come to show our true strength. They underestimate our resolve. Let us show we do not fear them.)"_

The driver turned into an alley to take a shortcut to Plaza Murillo. Where a dog barked against a chainlinked fence and a civvie was spraypainting graffited on the brick walls. Then flead as soon as the car approached him. There was also a civvie who peakout out of a dumpster and rehid himself back inside as the vehicle passed.

 _"¡Como un solo pueblo, liberaremos a nuestros hermanos del yugo de la opresión extranjera! (As one people, we shall free our brethren from the yoke of foreign oppression!)"_

The vehicle exited the alleyway and back into normal road. Where more Eterno soldiers marched on the streets and tanks patroled the roads. There was a line up of civilians against a brick wall where mecenaries had rifles locked, loaded, and aimed at them. Bullets kindling out of the barrels and killing the innocents like rabbid dogs.

 _"Nuestros ejércitos son fuertes, nuestra causa es justa. (Our armies are strong, our cause is just.)"_

The car was now approaching the Plaza Murillo. A helicopter was seen approaching and landing on a helipad behind the capital building dropping someone off. Soldiers were lined up between the road in the front courtyard of the building. Igniting gunfire in the air waving the rifles upwards with their fingers tapping the triggers. Soon, the presidential coup would be sufficed within the last minutes of the Bolivian president's life. President Morales felt a churn in his stomach fearing for his death as he was to accept his ignoble fate.

 _"Mientras hablo, nuestros ejércitos están acercándose a sus objetivos por los cuales restauraremos la independencia de una nación una vez grande. (As I speak, our armies are nearing their objectives by which we will restore the independence of a once great nation.)"_

The car stopped in the middle of clamoring gunmen crowding the front of the building. The passenger door opened and mercenary pulled the president out of the car as a dog barked and threw him on the ground. Landing on his back with his wrists still roped together. Then was stomped in the face by the boot of the merc. Rendering him outcold.

 _"Nuestra noble cruzada ha comenzado. (Our noble crusade has begun.)"_

The president was picked up and dragged again by the arms from the mercs escourting the president outcold into the captial building. The president's eyes winced open a little as he saw himself by dragged into the halls of Murillo. His eyes winced again to see trenched figure in front of a corridor of light.

Then his eyes opened another last time to see and older looking man with a scar centered between an eye and wearing a trench coat. The man smiled. And then ordered the mercs to tie him to the death pole centering the inner courtyard ourdoors.

"De la misma manera que echan desechos a nuestro país, desperdiciaremos a los suyos. (Just as they lay waste to our country, we shall lay waste to theirs.)"

Once the president was bound to the pole, he could see the man himself Hugo Alvarez talking on live camera. Alvarez wore a dark blazer and slacks with ray bans for eye wear. He was also bearded with grey hair. About the same age as the man with the scar. Alvarez himself stepped toward the man with the scar who point a gun at him then flipped it aroud so Alvarez would take it by the grip. Then Alvarez walked back to the camera to say his last words in spanish.

 _"Así es como comienza. (This is how it begins)",_ the new dictator said.

Soldiers were all chanting in unison speaking spanish as the Eterno warlord named Hugo Alvarez treading slowly towards the demise of Morales's presidency. The president himself breathed heavily in fear. Hyperventalating to his last breath as the bearded man with the ray bans and golden gun in his fingers approaced the now dead president. Crowning himself the new ruler of Bolivia by the push of a trigger.

Morales's last sight was the click of Alvarez's gun and the barrel aimed between the eyes. Then Alvarez presured his finger against the trigger. And then finally...BANG!

My name is Rachel Amber - and this is my story before the end of time.

 **LIFE IS STRANGE**

 **THE LOST DAUGHTER**

 **Episode 1: Reqium**


	2. Rude Awakening

Chapter 2 Rude Awakening

 **TOP SECRET: Project Lazarus**

 **Subject ID: Amber, Rachel**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Age: 19**

 **Eye Color: Hazel**

 **Hair Color: Blonde**

 **Date of Birth: 7/22/94**

 **Date of Death: 4/22/13**

 **Place of Birth: Long Beach, California**

 **Place of Death: Arcadia Bay, Oregon**

 **Cause of Death: Propofol Overdose**

 **Reputation: Honor Student**

 **Affiliation: Blackwell Academy**

 **Subject Status: Deceased/Comatose**

 _"Rachel Amber has been recovered. The Lazarus project will proceed as planned."_

As the months went by, Project Lazarus had begun. It begin with my body in a Chrysalis laboratory where machinery had done autopsies to extract my overdose, balance my heart rate, and keep my blood pressure stable. My body had been laying down on an autopsy table where robotic machinery vacuumed my exceeded dosage of propofol in blood and gave me pure blood for to survive with.

The machinery also inserted miniature devices in my body to keep me alive. Devices to keep my heart beating, my blood stream flowing, and my brain functioning. Within six months of my body resurging itself, it was eventually functional enough to take on the final procedures of Project Lazarus.

October 28, 2013

7:28 PM

Portland, Oregon

Chrysalis HQ

White light. Sleepiness. Pain. The vision of my next life moderately opens to a place of insomnia. Like the dark room of my doom. Only this time, I hear voices that don't belong to my psychotically perverted art teacher or my friend of a rich family. There are voices alien to my familiarity. I hear the voice of a woman with a bright accent and a man with grizzly vocals.

 _"Something's wrong,"_ the woman said.

 _"She's reacting to outside stimuli,"_ the man said. _"Showing an awareness of her surroundings."_

My hearing volume is weak. Whatever I'm waking up from, it made the voices hazy.

 _"My God, Hendricks,"_ said the male voice. _"I think she's waking up."_

I turn my head dizzily to the left to see a woman in a white coat with an attractive face and red hair. I turn my head right to see a bald man wearing a coat as well with a goatee like Jefferson's. My vision blurred a little when turning my head around to see the individuals between me. This was not the dark room. I appeared to be lying down on something straighter than I did on a white screen. I can hear the noise of a heartbeat monitor looping in the background. Am I in a hospital of some sort? Where was I?

"Dammit, Benson," the woman referred as Hendricks muttered. "She's not ready yet. Give her the sedative."

I move my left arm to attempt getting off the bed I lied down on, but the red haired woman intervened. Holding my arm back down on the bed.

"Rachel, don't try to move," said the Hendricks woman. "Just lye still. Try to stay calm."

I know one thing for sure. There were no camera flashes or someone raising their voice telling me to hold still for a shot. These were no pedophiles captivating my sense of innocence. These were kind and gentle doctors treating me with care. Maybe someone had found me in the dark room and took me to the hospital. But hearing the word sedative, I just wasn't sure I could take it even after all the torment I went through in the dark room alone.

"Heart rate is still climbing," said the man named Benson. "Brain activity's off the charts."

I seem to be breathing heavily for some reason. Hyperventilating perhaps. I can feel my lungs beating faster and faster. I can hear the monitor beeping quicker and quicker. If struggle to breathe, I succumb to my own oxygen and life support and die. Guess I wasn't ready to get up yet after all.

"Stats pushing to the red zone," warned Benson. "It's not working!"

"Another dose!" ordered Hendricks. "Now!"

The doctor named Benson injected me with the dosage to return me back to my sedation. Slowing down my heart rate, lessening my brain activity, and making me go back to sleep. I let the sedative kick into my body by moving my eyelids up and down a few times before my hearing scales down and vision goes blur again and gazing at the woman's face before falling asleep.

 _"Heart rate dropping,"_ said Benson. _"Stats falling back to normal range. That was too close. We almost lost her."_

 _"I told you your estimates were off,"_ said Hendricks. _"Run the numbers again."_

The more I'm drugged to sleep, the more I feel addicted to it as I sort of was in the dark room. What was happening? This didn't appear to be a recovery. More like a surgery procedure of some sort. But why? The last thing I see before my world is black again is the beautiful likeness of the red haired female glancing down my own eyes shutting down. Until I'm finally out.

* * *

October 29th, 2013

7:57 AM

Portland, Oregon

Chrysalis HQ

12 hours later...

 _"Wake up, Rachel!"_ a voice said on an intercom.

After laying down on the bed sedated for twelve hours, I gasp for air waking up from my coma. My eyes shot open and my mouth succumbing for air. I jerk my head off the bed to sit up and catch my breath. I had awoken in the same place those doctors were operating me on. I was wearing a patient's gown when I had seen myself awake and alive. My feet were still barefoot from when I was still in the dark room.

 _"Rachel, do you hear me?"_ the intercom voice spoke again. _"Get out of that bed now! This facility is under attack!"_

I look around the room catching my final breath. Where was I? Wherever I was, it didn't look like a hospital room. More like a morgue lab of some kind. I could hear gunfire and shouting from outside the room. Even felt a tremor shaking the room. What the hell was happening? I get drugged, raped, and perverted in a dark room and now I wake up in some morgue in the middle of whatever was going on.

 _"Rachel, I know your confused what's happening, but I need you to get moving. This facility is under attack!"_

I recognize the voice on the intercom. It had to be from the woman I saw before being sedated. I bite my lip and grunt through the pain I wake from my coma as I lightly get off the bed I woke up from. I could still hear gunshots fired from outside. What was I supposed to do here?

 _"There's a pistol in the locker on the other side of the room. Hurry!"_

Now this lady wants me to put a gun in my hand only after fifteen seconds of waking up to this ruckus? With the exception of learning how to use a bolt rifle with a scope, I've never really used a pistol before. Nonetheless, I do as I'm told. I open the locker to find a Glock pistol inside and take it. Only there was no clip inside the grip.

"Uh...whoever you are," I say to the lady on the intercom. "This pistol doesn't have a clip inside."

 _"There should be a clip loaded with bullets somewhere in the room. Look for it for you pistol, but be quick. Mercenaries have broken into the facility trying to kill you."_

Well that's just terrific. I'm drugged to death in a dark room, I wake up in some strange room in some strange facility that's under attack by what she said was mercenaries, and this gun is empty. How's that for convenience? No rest for the weary. I find a loaded clip on a counter in the morgue room and lock it up inside the grip of the gun where it belongs. I exit the room to make run from whatever was happening in my gown.

I run across the halls overhearing gunfire and screams. My feet tapping on the floors barefoot. Security alarms had been triggered ringing across the halls. I hid behind corners to make sure I don't get shot at. Something in my body didn't feel right. I felt as if my body was a walking Frankenstein with stitches in his body. Like I had awoken from death or something. It just doesn't add up.

I enter a place that appears to be a skylight lounge of some sort. Where bullets flew across the room and I ducked for cover. Then I saw a young gentlemen wearing a security jacket and a tactical vest firing back at some mercenaries on the other side of the lounge. I quickly ducked for cover behind a glass railing next to the man fighting back the mercs. That's when he noticed I was awake and alive. The man himself appeared to be around Frank's age but more sharp looking and less raggedy. He had black sleek hair and shaved facial hair around his mouth and nose.

"Where did you come from?!" the man asked. "I thought you were still a work in progress!"

"I just woke up!" I shouted. "You probably know more than I do!"

"Right, sorry about that," he apologized. "I'm Cayce Foley. I've been stationed here for-"

The man who introduced himself as Cayce Foley lifted his head over the railing a bit before a bullet almost took his head off.

"Dammit!" he muttered.

Then fired back at the merc who almost shot him and killed him. Then returned to cover to say a few more words.

"Things must be worse than I thought if Hendricks has you running around," said Cayce. "I'll fill you in, but we have to get to the safe room first."

"Ever since I woke up, everyone's been telling me where to go and what to do!" I mutter. "I need answers!"

"Fair enough," said Cayce. "I'll give you the quick version. You were drugged and abducted by Mark Jefferson and Nathan Prescott. You were killed by an overdose. Dead as dead can be when they brought you here. Our scientist spent the last six months putting you back together. You've been comatose or worse that whole time. Welcome back to your life."

"Six months? Just a minute. This doesn't look like any hospital I've ever seen."

"It isn't. I can't say much more than that for now. Just recently someone eventually found your body deep down six feet beneath the ground in the middle of a junkyard. Your fake body that is. The police officially declared you dead. The whole town of Arcadia Bay thinks your dead. If we don't get to the safe room, they'll be right."

"Hold on, you said my fake body? Everyone thinks I'm dead? What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you what. You help me finish off these mercs, and I'll play twenty questions with you all day. I'm low on ammo, but I think your powers could help. I'll give you the order when ready."

"My powers? What powers?"

"Shit. You don't know, do you? Just let me handle this."

I just remembered my mind trick powers I used on people at Blackwell. Not sure how they can help unless I could somehow mind trick these mercs death. Cayce picked a grenade from his pocket, pulled the pin, and tossed it to the other side of the lounge where the mercs were shooting behind the other railing. Then were both taken out with a boom.

I never really imagined myself being in a shootout in real life. Let alone one with exploding grenade blowing up between two guys with rifles. With the mercs neutralized from the grenade blast, we both stepped out of cover so I could play Q and A with Cayce.

"Okay, I promised I'd answer your questions," said Cayce. "What do you wanna know?"

"Do you know anything about this attack?" I asked. "Who's behind it? What they're after?"

"Damned if I know. I was getting ready for a shower in the men's room after my shut eye. Then bam! Bunch of explosions. Next thing I know, every damn merc invading the place start shooting at us. I'm guessing it had to be an inside job. You need top security access to break into here."

"The last thing I remember is Nathan injecting me with a camera in his hand and then my head dropping to the floor and my world going black. What happened after that?"

"That poor Prescott kid and Jefferson delivered your body here. We and they other hand somehow made your death a forgery. Just three weeks ago, Nathan Prescott was shot and killed by Jefferson himself. Jefferson on the other hand in the same week was jailed on death row for all those dark room kidnappings and murders. From what I hear, he was recently given the death penalty for first degree murder."

"Can't say I'm sorry that happened. That psycho deserved worse. But Nathan? Jefferson killed him? How could that happen?"

"I don't know. Reports say he was shot to death and they discovered his body the same place they found yours only a day later. It's sad. The Prescotts were very displeased with their loss. They're all still trying to go through his death as of right now."

"How bout the people I was close to in Arcadia Bay? Chloe, Frank, Joyce, what happened to them? What are they all doing now?"

"I don't know that either, Rachel. It's been six months. They've moved on and now believe you to be dead. That Chloe girl found out about your body in that dump and she was pretty devastated. So was that Frank guy you mentioned. As of now, your friend Chloe has moved on with her life without you as well as Frank. Chloe however seems to be in some relationship with someone named Max. They've been getting along well."

"Wait, Max? Max Caulfield? She's back in town? Chloe used to say a lot about her and told me all about her. Said she moved to Seattle some years back. How is she back in Arcadia just now?"

"Beats me. Only a month ago she started school at Blackwell. I only know the basics and no more or less."

"If any of my friends from Arcadia knew I was alive, they'd come back. You said my death was a forgery and you guys were responsible? Why would anyone want to fake my death? Why would anyone want everyone to believe that I'm dead?!"

"I don't know, Rachel! I'm just a soldier/security officer. Not an intelligence broker. Next question?"

"When I first woke up, someone named Hendricks was talking to me over the intercom just to get to you."

"Kara Hendricks is the ranking science officer. She led the Lazarus team. It was her job to bring you back to life no matter what. Should've guessed she tried to save you. She's not about to give up on you now."

"What's the quickest way to the safe room?"

"Depends on where the mercs are thickest. It's probably best to-"

 _"Check! Check!"_ said a voice on Cayce's radio. _"Anyone on this frequency? Anybody still alive out there?! Hello!"_

"Benson, this is Cayce!" he informed on the radio. "I'm here with Rachel Amber! Just took out a wave of mercs at Sky Lounge D.

 _"Rachel's alive?"_ questioned Benson. _"How the hell - never mind! You need to get her out of there! Get to the service halls and head for the network control room!"_

"Roger that, Benson!" replied Cayce. "Stay on this frequency!"

"I think I remember a Benson checking up on me one time when I woke up," I admit.

"That's him. He's the chief medical tech. Answers directly to Hendricks. Come on. The service halls are this way."

Suddenly, a mercenary stormed into the lounge we were in before we proceeded to the service halls. His gun held up high to shoot us down.

"Shit! Look out!" shouted Cayce.

Cayce raised his pistol up high as the merc fired his pitol directly towards me. Before his bullet could hit me in the face, a strange thing. I could see the lethal lead flying between my eyes and before I take a blow from, I instantly dodge and dash past the speeding bullet quicker than the bullet itself. The merc fires another round at me and I dodge and dash through the next shot as well.

His next fire was not going to be a warning shot. This time I dodge his last bullet and dash in front of him with my fist thrusted at him. Hitting him in the chest and pushing him ten feet across the lounge. Falling on his back and knocked out. How did I do that? Was this what Cayce meant by my powers?

"How the hell did you do that?!" Cayce wondered with awe.

"I don't know! I think your the one who told me I had powers. You tell me!"

"Shit, now's really not the time. Come on. We got to find Benson before the mercs do. And fast!"

Until now, I've been received nothing else but hostiles and calamities in such a rude awakening from my coma Cayce had told me I was induced in. And now I seem to be getting powers I never experience before. But how? All because of this strange mercenary attack, no one seems to be keeping me up to speed with anything. Other than how I've been dead for six months and these people have been faking it that entire time. And Jefferson was the one to deliver my body to them after my lethal dosage that killed me. Why?

In spite of no one filling me in more, I had to cooperate with Cayce and follow him into the service halls to get to Benson. When entering the halls, we could see through glass windows of staff and security officers getting shot down by the masked mercs. Blood spewing on the windows like a horror movie. I've never seen people get shot at before and it made me sick. The two of us were already caught in the crossfire and I didn't want to get myself killed after just having been resurrected by these people.

"Dammit, Benson!" complained Cayce. "These rooms are crawling with mercs!"

 _"The whole building is crawling with mercs!"_ said Benson. _"I'm doing the best I can!"_

"Could you find us another route out of here? Preferably one that doesn't lead us straight into an enemy squad?!"

 _"Just keep moving towards the control room. Don't get pinned down. I'll see what I can do. Oh god. They found me! Help!"_

"Benson, where are you?!"

 _"Server Room B! Hurry! They're out of control!"_

"Up those stairs, Rachel! Hostiles are cleared!"

I run up the stairs with Cayce to the service room where Benson was located. We eventually make it inside the server room to find Benson sitting down against a hard drive wall with a bullet wound to the leg bleeding out.

"Rachel! Cayce!" he called. "Down here!"

We quickly run to him to check on his wound.

"Bastards got me in the leg!" Benson grunted.

"You were there the first time I regained consciousness," I remind him.

"Yeah...that was me," he said.

The man was succumbing to his wound and grunted. He needed medical care.

"Can we talk about this after we fix my leg?" Benson asked. "Rachel, I know this is knew to you, but I think you have some kind of healing ability you can use to fix this. Can you do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for a wounded doctor," I said. "But why does everyone keep telling me I have these powers I know nothing about?"

"Here, put your hand above the bullet hole and concentrate on it so you can heal it," said Benson. "Your power should be able to work as long as you stay concentrated."

Without questioning him, I do as the man says. I put my hand above his bleeding leg hoping for something to happen. Interestingly enough, something does happen. A glowing light of energy is absorbed into my hand and does something to Benson's wound. The bullet caught in his leg disintegrates, the bleeding is paused, and the hole dissolves back into solid skin. However I did that, Benson get up on his feet again with no trouble or pain whatsoever and we continue our conversation.

"Thanks, Rachel," said Benson. "Never thought you'd save my life. Guess that makes us even now. I thought maybe I could activate the security system's defenses. But whoever did this hacked the whole system. Completely irreversible."

"We didn't ask what you were doing," said Cayce. "Why do you even have security system clearance? You were in the bio wing."

"Weren't you listening? I came here to try and fix this. Besides, I was shot! I do you explain that?"

"I don't care who set up who!" I blunt. "Those mercs were shooting at all of us! We'll sort it out later!"

"We need to find Hendricks first," said Cayce. "We can't just leave her behind!"

"Forget about Hendricks," said Benson. "She was over in D-Wing. The mercs were all over that sector. There's no way she survived."

"A bunch of mercs won't drop, Hendricks," said Cayce. "She's alive. She may be a doctor, but she's tougher than she looks."

"Well then, where is she?" Benson asked. "Why haven't we heard from her? They're only two possible explanations. She's either dead or she's a traitor."

"Then why did she wake me up and warn me about the attack?" I ask.

"Okay, maybe she's not a traitor," said Benson. "But that doesn't change the facts. We're here. She's not. We need to save ourselves. The safe room is only a few-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a turret popped out of the ceiling with a laser sight aimed at us. It was about to open fire.

"Get down!" shouted Cayce.

Cayce and Benson took cover behind the hard drives. But before I could take cover, I raise my in front of me in retreat of the bullets firing from the turret. Activating some kind of force field I project with my own hands. Deflecting the turret fire into streaming beams of energy. Shielding myself from the automatic firing. How can I do all these things?

My shielding wears down and I take cover next to Benson and when it does. I may have temporarily and most unnaturally protected myself from the turret, but we still needed to take care of the turret itself that was likely hacked by the enemy like everything else.

"Dammit, turrets been hacked!" Benson shouted.

"How the hell did Rachel just do that?!" Cayce asked. "That - that shield thing!"

"Could've asked better myself!" I mutter.

"Doesn't matter!" Benson shouts back. "Someone shoot that fuse box! It's the only way to knock that hacked turret down!"

I could see the fuse box Benson spoke of on the other side of the room. I aim my Glock pistol down at the fuse and shoot it with three rounds. Damaging the fuse linked to the turret and disabling the turret itself into static and smoke. After making myself useful, that doctor and the security office and I step out of cover to move forward to the safe room as planned.

"That's it, let's get out of here," said Benson.

"Okay, we took it down," said Cayce. "But this is getting tense. Rachel, if I tell you who we work for, will you trust me?"

"This really isn't the time, Cayce," said Benson.

"We won't make it if she's expecting a shot in the back."

"If you want to piss off the boss, it's your ass, Cayce."

"The Lazarus project. The program that rebuilt you. It's funded and controlled by Chrysalis."

"I think Nathan might have mentioned something about a Chrysalis when I was in the dark room," I told him. "Some kind of corporate organization. Right?"

"Well that's what Nathan told you," said Cayce. "But there's more to it. Arcadia Bay declared you dead. They gave up. Chrysalis spent a fortune to bring you back. Look, I'd be suspicious too. But right now, we have to work together. I thought you'd deserve to know what's what. Once we're in the safe room and the whole facility is secure of hostiles, I'll take to you Derrick Crosby. The chief executive office of this company. He'll explain everything. I promise."

"You must have some reason to bring me back," I said. "Tell me what's going. Tell me why all of a sudden I have these mystical powers of mine."

"All gotta come from the boss, Rachel. As soon as we're safe. We're almost at the safe room."

The three of us avoid most of the fighting that occurs. A majority of the security team appeared to be handling most of the mercenaries so we didn't have to. When we reached central security, there were bodies of security soldiers and staff on the floor that were now corpses made by the mercs. Things were more intense that I figured it was going to get. In all seriousness, I had only seen this kind of violence in movies and TV. Movies like _Heat_ and _The Departed._ As well as shows like _Dexter_ and _True Blood_.

"Well this is worse than I thought," I said. "Did anyone make it to the safe room?"

"No idea," said Cayce. "Keep moving. We're almost there."

Eventually, we find the doors to the safe room in central security. Considering the mercs having taken out security, I couldn't imagine someone making it alive here already. Maybe we're the first ones to do so.

"Come on, through here," said Benson. "We're almost at the-"

As soon as Benson unlocked the door for us, the red haired woman appeared out of nowhere just when the doors were open. It was her. It was Hendricks.

"Hendricks," said Benson. "But you were-"

In the blink of an eye, Hendricks pulled her pistol out of her coat pocket and pulled the trigger. Shooting Benson in the face and his body dropping dead on the floor.

"Dead?" said Hendricks, finishing Benson final words.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Cayce shouted.

"My job," she answered. "Benson betrayed us all."

The bitch didn't even hesitate. We were not even a few feet away from the man and just like that, Hendricks shot Benson in cold blood and killed him. The red haired woman named Hendricks had a kind of English accent. Hearing her voice clearly without being operated on a bed and my hear miniscule. She was just as stunning and attractive as I remembered.

"You should've taken him alive," I suggested. "See what he knew."

"Too risky," stated Hendricks. "I've put too much time and effort bringing you back to life just to let you get killed now."

"You really think Benson's capable of that?" Cayce asked.

"Not anymore," said Hendricks, glancing at her kill.

"Even if your sure, did he deserve that welcome?" I asked.

"He sabotaged the security systems, killed my staff, and he would've killed us," she answered.

"You sure about that, Hendricks?" Cayce asked. "We've known Benson for years. What if your wrong?"

"I'm never wrong," said Hendricks. "I thought you would've learned that by now, Cayce."

"If you say so," I said. "What's our next step?"

"We stay in the safe room until this attack is dealt with and then we go," said Hendricks. "My boss want to speak with you."

"You mean Derrick Crosby?" I ask. "I know you work for Chrysalis."

"Ah, Cayce," said Hendricks. "I should've known your conscience would get the better of you."

"Lying to Rachel isn't the way to get him to join our cause," said Cayce.

"Well, since we're getting everything out in the open," continued Hendricks. "Is there anything else you like to ask before we go, Rachel?"

"Your the Lazarus project's director aren't you?" I ask.

"That's right," she said. "I've put six months of my life into this project and to you."

"What does Chrysalis want from me?" I ask.

"Maybe you should ask Crosby when you meet him," she answered. "He put virtually unlimited resources into Lazarus. Obviously, he has some kind of plan for you."

"Where are we going after this?"

"To Crosby's office. He'll be waiting for you there."

"I'm not sure I trust you."

"This is the only safest place you'll be away from the mercenary intrusion. You want to stay and rot with them, be my guest."

"What about survivors? Shouldn't we be saving them?"

"Don't you understand? You're the only life worth saving. Everyone else is expendable. Anything else?"

"I've had enough of this place to last a lifetime."

"Or two in your case. Come on. Let's get inside."


	3. A New Day

Chapter 3 A New Day

October 29th, 2013

9:59 AM

Portland, Oregon

Chrysalis HQ

After waiting a of couple hours for the attack to die down and for investigators to cleanse the scene; Cayce, Dr. Hendricks, and I took and elevator to the top floor where I would be meeting the CEO Derrick Crosby for the first time. I barely knew Benson for twenty minutes and he gets shot between the eyes in front of me and proclaimed a traitor. Couldn't blame Hendricks for the accusation and giving Benson what he deserved. Cayce and Hendricks gave me a change of clothes to change from my gown. I had to wear a Chrysalis T-shirt from the gift shop and a simple pair of jeans with some shoes. They even kept my old blue feathered ear ring I used to wear and put that on as well.

I had been awake and alive for merely two hours and I still needed answers about myself, this strange company, and everybody and everything else. I was still unsure if I could trust the people around me. I may have been dead and brought back from the dead by these people, but that meant less for what I was in for. Whatever I was in for, I couldn't stay dead to everyone in Arcadia Bay forever. I needed to get back. Everyone deserves to know I'm alive. The right to know I'm a walking corpse taking more breaths in this strange facility. Especially Frank. Especially Chloe.

Six months they had said. For six months I was sent here to be induced in a coma until I could be awakened into my next life. No one's a cat who has nine lives. But I was just served with another in fact. I can't imagine all the people I care about feeling about how they believe me to be dead. I would imagine Chloe reacting the same way she felt about her father's death in a way she'd undeniably react to mine. I vowed to Chloe that I would never leave her the way Max did five months past and for six months I had officially broken my vows to her.

Cayce had mentioned that Max had returned to Arcadia some months back to start an education at Blackwell. At least it's not a total loss for Chloe. I just can't imagine what she must go through having to loose me and her real dad, William. Damn you to hell, Jefferson. You and Nathan are the reason I'm here. To add more fuel to the fire, I have Frank to go through my death too. All the good people I've left behind and I don't get to wake up next to them awake and alive. Up on the elevator I was taking, Dr. Hendricks had some questions to run a test on my past memories.

"Before you meet with Derrick Crosby," began Hendricks. "We need to ask you a few questions to evaluate your condition."

"What? We have to do this now?" Cayce asked.

"We should have done weeks of testing to confirm the success of Project Lazarus. A few questions on the way up will have to suffice."

"Okay. Records show you were born and raised in Long Beach. Three parents. One of them in the District Attorney, James Amber, one who married your father to be your adopted mother, Rose Amber, and the other your birth mother named Sera Gearhardt. You were accepted into Blackwell Academy for the 2009 and 2010 semesters when you first enrolled at fifteen. You were known to students and faculty to be the pride of Blackwell. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah, I remember. Everyone used to go Rachel this and Rachel that. Everywhere I went, everyone followed. Earning me the role of a Blackwell celebrity. Story of my life."

"I've read your reports. You seem to have a quintessential Blackwell record. One that exceeded everyone's expectations whenever. Satisfied, Hendricks?"

"Almost," she replied. "Let's try something more recent. Arcadia Bay, where you in a relationship with a Chloe Price and a Frank Bowers. Then the Vortex Club party where you were drugged."

"Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson initiated your abduction," reminded Cayce. "That place they referred as the dark room. What do you remember from there?"

"You want me to stand here and chat about the most colossally scaring situation of my life in that so-called dark room?" I ask firmly. "I think your in over your heads. In all honesty, the simple version is that a psycho Jared Leto thought he can make me his doll of innocence while lying down like sleeping beauty with the help of the son of the Prescott blood. The end."

"I understand, Rachel," said Cayce. "And we're sorry we asked. Everybody at Chrysalis knows that dark room was staked out by the ABPD."

"There are other test we should run," suggested Hendricks.

"Come on, Doc," whined Cayce. "Enough with the quizzes. The memories are there and I can vouch for Rachel's health personally."

"I suppose your right," digressed Hendricks. "We'll have to hope Crosby accepts our little field test as evidence enough."

We're on the top floor of the building and Cayce and Hendricks allow me to enter the boss's office alone. I step inside to see an enormous room with nice furniture, an enormous window with light rays from the morning sun beaming the room, and a desk where the man himself sits there waiting for me. Sitting down on a spinning chair turning around to the glass overlooking the city of Portland and drinking a cup of scotch while smoking a cigarette.

I approach the man slowly and stop in the center of the room. Then man himself takes notice of my presence and turns his chair around to talk eye to eye. And there he was. The man was bald with an expensive coat and tie on. A Lex Luthor looking figure. My first conversation with the man himself began.

"Rachel Amber," he began. "Just the woman I was waiting for.

"Derrick Crosby," I begin. "Just the man I was waiting for."

"I must say it's honor to see the pride of Blackwell awake and alive. Most common knowledge for people who know what you and I know."

"From what I hear, I cost you a fortune. Why'd you do it?"

"For the defense and preservation of Chrysalis. I didn't spend six months and billions of dollars to bring you back as a common prodigy. But Chrysalis is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence."

"And what is that?"

"We have a civil war in Bolivia that all started with a coup and a dictatorship run by an extremist superpower cult named El Eterno. One week ago, President Evo Morales of Bolivia was executed on national television by El Eterno's leader Hugo Alvarez. A terrorist leader who rules with fear and violence. Dr. Hendricks tells me your memory is still intact. How are you feeling?"

"Cut to the chase. I was just drugged to death by two psychos, I may have just ditched everyone I cared about in Arcadia Bay who now think I'm dead, and now I wake up from my death bed only to hear you talk about terrorist? Not mention I haven't been filled in about how I dodged bullets and formed a bullet proof dome in front of myself."

Crosby gets off his chair to approach me and talk up close.

"We're at war," said Crosby. "No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack. While you've been sleeping, your friend Chloe has relentlessly searched for you across Arcadia Bay. When Max Caulfield returned, it was only a matter of time before her and Chloe discovered your body in that landfill. Your counterfeit body that is. Meanwhile, Arcadia Bay is in ruins from an anonymous tornado storm that struck down hundreds dead and only half the population left standing. But that's another story. We believe El Eterno has taken over Bolivia for reasons unnatural. In a way we're just now suspecting the Arcadia storm to be unnatural. When bringing you to life, we discovered something special in you. That's just one reason we chose you."

"You could've trained an entire army for what you've spent to bring me back," I said.

"You're unique. Not just in ability or what you've experienced, but what you represent. You stood for Blackwell at a key moment. You're more than a prodigy. You're a symbol. And I don't know if you're one for stopping quantum terrorism, but the gift we've discovered in you just might be enough for my faith. We have to respect that."

"Fighting a war doesn't sound like the Rachel Amber everyone knows. Why should I be involved? Why are you involved?"

"We are committed to the advancement and preservation of humanity. If quantum terrorist are targeting us, trying to wipe us out, Chrysalis will stop them. If we wait for politics or bureaucracy to act, no more humanity will be left."

"About my gift, Mr. Crosby, how do I have it and where did it come from?"

"That's a rather complicated question, Ms. Amber. I'll keep it simple. You are exposed to something in your blood vessel called chronons. Chronons are what keep your powers at bay. Anyone exposed to chronons have the ability to manipulate time. Weather it'd be reversing time, freezing time, you name it. We understand you had a gift to trick minds to your own cause back during your Blackwell days. Chronons can have a tight influence on weak minds. Your abilities you just recently performed during the merc attack are something your just getting used to now. We can prepare you for how to control them."

"What your asking me to do is something I never done before. Nor do I believe I should do. I should at least get back to Arcadia Bay. People like Chloe, Frank, and my parents deserve to know I'm alive. Whatever happened to them, I can't turn my back on them now after all these months. Chloe is never the one to put her grieving aside. Not after losing both her father and Max. Frank is just a low life living in an RV who always needed someone special in his life like myself. And parents...that's rather complicated."

"And they've all moved on with their lives, Rachel. As uneasy as it was for them believing your dead, it's best to keep it that way. For now."

"For now?! For how long?"

"For as long as we need it to be."

"That's not good enough! I want to go home! You can't just let me leave everyone behind forever!"

"Let me make this clear, Rachel. You aren't in a position to make demands. I regret the sorrow I'm letting you put everyone through, but you need to put your emotion aside. Going back will be the last thing you'll do only after what we tell you to do. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal. Could at least tell me what's happening to everyone I knew now? What happened to Chloe Price? Cayce told me she's hooked up with her childhood buddy Max Caulfield."

"And what he said was true. Ms. Caulfield started her Blackwell education over a month ago and just three weeks ago she got back to together with Ms. Price. They've successfully been reconciling their relationship five years from then since."

"What happened to Frank Bowers?"

"Not much is known to us about him. He's only been himself in drug dealing from where our knowledge goes."

"How did Nathan Prescott die? Cayce told me he was just killed by Jefferson. How? Why?"

"How he died is an answer you already know. Why he died is classified. It was a devastating tragedy for the Prescott family is more than I can say. Are there any other questions?"

"I can assume Mark Jefferson was brought to justice for this dark room thing of his?"

"Indeed he was. Only a week ago he was put on trial and from this moment forward has been given the death penalty as his charge for first degree murder. Next question?"

"What happened to Victoria Chase? Her and I high were school rivals but she was close to Nathan. Safe to assume she was devastated about his death as well."

"Certainly. It was a tragedy for all of Blackwell. Ms. Chase alone however is still going through her loss and is now doing her best to taking over to run that Vortex Club of hers now that Mr. Prescott is gone. Another question?"

"What happened to Chloe's mom and step-dad Joyce and David Madsen?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Madsen are helping support the rebuild for Arcadia Bay after the storm that destroyed it. With Blackwell under sanctuary and Mrs. Madsen's diner totaled from the storm, they're making due in repairing the damage that had been done to the town itself."

"And what happened to my parents? What did they do when I vanished?"

"They moved back to California where you grew up to start new lives. Knowing you had been gone and nowhere to be found, that was there way forward. Now no more questions. Corporal Foley will provide you with a quarters for you to live in. Your training for Chrysalis will begin Friday morning. No request made. I will make that mandatory."

"Hendricks killed Benson in cold blood. Cayce is just a gun for hire. You expect me to trust them?"

"Benson was one of my best workers, but he was a traitor. Hendricks did exactly what I expected of her. And she saved your life in more ways than one. Cayce is a soldier. One of the best. He's never fully trusted me, but he's always been honest about it. You'll just be fine with them. For now."

"Is this a volunteer job or am I being volunteered?"

"You always have a choice, Rachel. If we don't think you're ready or worthy to our endeavors, we can part ways. But first things first. Cayce will show you to your chamber and your training begins Friday at dawn. Do your best and you'll do just fine. I brought you back. It's up to you to do the rest. You are dismissed, Ms. Amber. Make yourself at home as you can."


	4. Stranger Things

Chapter 4 Stranger Things

October 29, 2013

10:25 AM

Portland, Oregon

Chrysalis HQ

Cayce Foley takes me down to my chamber set up for me to live in for time here in this compound. Taking the elevator down a floor or two to get to it. We step out of the elevator a few floors down and walk down the hall where my private quarters would be located.

Even after just three hours of my next life, I'm still wondering what the fuck is happening. I know I can't just stay dead forever. This isn't fair. I want to go home. I had a home and it was Arcadia Bay. Not some strange company I've never heard of. Or doesn't anyone else think that my friends, especially Chloe and Frank, are too fucked up to believe I'm falsely dead? These people have no right to do this. They just don't.

"Hey, don't beat yourself down over this," said Cayce. "This will all be over soon."

"Soon?!" I mutter. "I wake up from the dead in some mercenary ambush, my friends think I'm dead, and if by soon you mean when? Huh? You know they can't keep me here forever!"

"Listen, Rachel. Now's not the time for adolescent pouting. I know this difficult for you, but whoever it was you cared about in Arcadia Bay have moved on. This is only your first day back to life and it's not as if people are expecting you to come back into their lives now. You need to stay strong. We can get you through this."

"They deserve to know I'm still alive, Cayce. If you want me to get through this, one or another, I have to see Chloe again. I understand she's with her long lost Max now, but she still has every god given right to know I live. No matter how hard or how long you people want them to believe I'm dead. Why am I here? Crosby said Jefferson was the one to deliver my body and for what? I made the most fatal mistake possible in trusting Jefferson and now I'm expected to trust this Crosby asshole?"

"To be fair, Rachel, I don't trust Crosby any more than you don't. And since we're now on the same page, you can trust me instead. I can't imagine what you had to go through with that dark room thing of yours. Nor can I imagine what Chloe must live through. But she's safe - and sound with that Max girl of hers. They're happy with one another. Isn't that what you want?"

"What I'd want is for her to be happy - knowing that I'm still alive. Doesn't matter if she's

with Max now. I just feel like uber shit for having to do this to her."

I sigh.

"If we're on the same page, Cayce, maybe I have question I don't think I asked Crosby. Why did Jefferson deliver me to this place? Can really trust anyone here?"

"You should be glad you didn't ask Crosby that. The answer from him is like he always says is confidential. All that matters for now is that you spend some time here with us until this blows over. You'll be safe here with us just as you were at Blackwell. Now let me ask you this. Crosby hired me to be your bodyguard until this over and since we're on the same page, do you trust me Rachel? Do you?"

 **X/SQUARE/LM - TRUST CAYCE**

 **B/CIRCLE/RM - DON'T TRUST CAYCE**

"I'll trust you when you've earned it," I answer. "After what I've went through, I just can't say I trust anybody I don't if that's fair enough."

"Fair enough," he replied. "We're almost to your room. I'll show you inside."

Cayce opens the door to my room. I walk inside and the room is surprisingly nice for a girl like me. The room basically helmed all the essentials. A nice warm bed, glass windows that reflect the golden hour, a table for me to eat, a microwave and refrigerator to put food and drinks in, and TV set to watch. The room was a little wider and bigger than my room in the Prescott dorms. I guess is this where I would be living now. My new home in Portland.

"This is where you'll be staying for the next few months in training. Make yourself at home and get comfortable while you can. Training begins Friday morning at O nine-hundred. I'll be seeing you later."

I sit and lye down on the bed in boredom. Though offering me a place to stay in was convenient enough, I still felt indifferent about my staying here. I've been asking myself the same question since taking my first breath into me next life. Why did Chrysalis bring me back? If I could just wake up and come back to life on this day, I would rather do it to accomplish my dreams of LA than training to be a fighter for this strange company.

Little did I know that I was about to experience some stranger things with my power I discovered earlier today during the shootout. When lying down on the bed, a fly swooped in the room and in my face. I swatted it around with my bear hands attempting to kill it and when I do, it gets caught in my hand laying dead on my palm. I never liked touching insects with my skin, but here's the strangest thing that happens.

My palm glows when staring at the dead bug in my hand. There appeared to be a small glowing aura absorbing into the dead insect. I glance down at the fly I killed and the fly itself picks itself up and flies away just like that. What did I just do? Did I just bring a dead flying insect back to life with my palm? How? The yellow aura in my palm indeed gave it away, but else could I do? This was almost the same power I had to use to heal Benson before Hendricks killed him. Whatever chonron juice Crosby spoke of that I assumed did this, I had a lot to learn here. For sure.

I noticed their was a coffee maker in the room. I could really quench my thirst for coffee this morning. Joyce used to make some good coffee back home. Whether it'd be at Two Whales or at the Price/Madsen residence, her coffee never failed. But before I could take sip of coffee after making it, I accidentally drop it off the counter as it shatters on the floor with a big stain. Way to go Rachel. How possibly clumsy can you be to just spill your first coffee. That is when I discover another power of mine.

I try reaching for the coffee to pick it up, but then I feel a weird vibration on my hand. And when I do, pieces of the cup levitate in the air a few inches from the floor. Whatever this was, whatever was happening now, I concentrate on another strange power of mine occurring. When concentrating hard enough, the whole cup and hot liquid levitates and repairs itself back on the counter into a whole. I just used some kind of reversal power of some kind. A rewind power also known as.

Then I all of sudden, my vision goes dark. And not just dark, but also monochrome. I startle for a moment and drop my jaw. Gazing this strange vision around me. What was happening now? Then I notice that I can hear vivid voice in my head. As well as seeing strange orange auras above and below me like Christmas lights. Must be the people on the higher and lower floors. I was seeing things like Superman's super vision. I was hearing things like Daredevil. Then my vision returned to normal. Ever since I was brought back things have gotten stranger and stranger.

This was not the things I asked for. It was weird enough having my secret mind tricking powers. I would rather wake up from the dead to live a life in Los Angeles and not some corporate building in Portland with even weirder powers. You doesn't receive what people don't ask for. Perhaps I would've been better off staying dead from that dark room. As Chloe would say, life is so not fair. Life is hella weird. Life is strange.

 **Note: I post this chapter in service of the first episode of Before the Storm releasing today which I will be playing tonight! No spoilers in the reviews please! I'm warning you! I look forward to playing the first episode myself and it shall be great. Enjoy Before the Storm everyone. Thank you!**


	5. FNG

Chapter 5 FNG

November 1st, 2013

9:01 AM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Gate

"Good news first, the world's in great shape," said Lieutenant Mason. "We've got a civil war in Bolivia. South American loyalist against El Eterno rebels and fifteen thousand civilians at stake."

"Just another day at the office," said Captain Cage.

"Hugo Alvarez, currently the second an most powerful man in southern America. Now word on the street is he's got the minerals to be top dog down there. Intel's keeping an eye on him."

"And the bad news?"

"We've got a new girl joining us today fresh out of Project Lazarus. One from Blackwell Academy. Her name is Rachel. Rachel D. Amber. Crosby's orders, Captain. Say no more."

* * *

After a few days being incarcerated in a chamber at Chrysalis HQ and testing my new powers, I began to learn more things about the corporate place. It had been founded in the year 1999. Only a year after the Prescott Foundation was founded and the foundation that funded the company as well. The three main founders were Sean Prescott, Derrick Crobsy, and Dr. Sebian Sorenson who's the Chief Science Officer of Chrysalis. I spent time learning these things from Cayce and everyone else. Over the past week, I've been watching the news about Arcadia Bay's recovery from the storm. A storm Crosby described as unnatural. Don't know why. Don't give a fuck.

Today was training day. The day I arrive at Apex Gate. The training facility where everyone will be calling me FNG. Stands for 'fucking new gal or girl'. I had to change into my training clothes to dress for the day. A military trainee shirt and pants. Cayce had driven me to Apex located in the Oregon/Washington Border north of Portland. It was an hour drive and we made it there safely.

Once we parked the car, Cayce escorted me to the shooting range at the training camp of Apex Gate. Apex was pretty much a typical military training base. Only this was made specifically for the Chrysalis military division and for the standard U.S. army. The two of us walked inside the shooting range where I was greeted to a Lieutenant in the field.

"Nice of you to join us, Corporal," said a dark skinned soldier. "Is this her?"

"The one and only, Lieutenant," replied Cayce. "This is her."

"Rachel Amber, honor to meet you," said the Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Jeb Mason. I'll be one of your instructors for today."

"So it seems," I said shaking the man's hand.

The lieutenant named Mason was dark skinned with shaved facial hair and buzz cut black hair. Not bald like Principal Wells.

She's all yours, Lieutenant," said Cayce. "I'll be down in Hangar One whenever she's ready."

Cayce walked out the door and left the range for the place he called simulation. Then I was left alone with the Lieutenant.

"Alright, ma'am," said Mason. "I know your just getting adjusted to this, but just follow my instructions and you'll do fine. Take one of the rifles on the table."

Oh goody. I get to pick up a rifle in my hand now. This should be fun. Only this time it was an assault rifle and not a bolt action hunting rifle like the one Frank got me before I disappeared and forged my death. The only person in town I know who has held an assault rifle would no doubt be Chloe's so-called step-Fuhrer, David Madsen. Wish he were here to see me training. Surely he of all people doesn't. I do as the Lieutenant says, a pick up the battle rifle off the table.

"You know the drill," said Mason. "Go to station one and aim your rifle downrange."

I walk down to station one where I'm supposed to be and aim the rifle downrange. Lieutenant Mason stood above the wooden railing from behind.

"Lovely," he said. "Now, shoot at the targets while firing from the hip."

Simply enough, I shoot at the targets that flip up from ground a few feet in front of me. The targets were marked with stilts of soldiers with guns. A shoot the three target that pop open and then they pop down like wack-a-dolls. My first assault rifle I had fired packed a little bit of a punch, but I knew how to hold a rifle steady just like Frank taught me.

"Now aim your rifle downrange," said Mason.

There was a little scope on my rifle with a little red dot marked on. I blink one eye to aim accurately with the scope.

"Now shoot each target while aiming down the sights."

Two targets marked with red circles pop up from up and down. I aim upward and downward to shoot my targets. The targets are hit, and my next lesson is complete.

"Now I'm gonna block the targets with a sheet of plywood. Bullets will penetrate thin, weak materials like wood, plaster, and sheet metal. I want you to shoot the targets through the wood."

A layer of plywood spawned down range with more target to shoot from behind. Cover by the wood. I shoot through the wood to hit the targets and the bullets penetrate through just like Mason told me.

"Good. Now I'm going to make the target pop one at a time. Hit all of them as fast as you can. Be sure to check your ammo too. If you need to reload, take an extra mag in front of you."

I unlock the weapon's magazine and replace it with another to restock on bullets. Then targets appear out of the ground again and I fire away. Surprisingly enough, I shoot as many as I can and as quick as I can before my clip is dry. Bravo Rachel. You may be an LA wannabe, but your a real marksman at heart.

"Nice, your a good shot for a new girl," complemented Mason. Now go get a side arm from the armory."

There was a pistol lying around on the table in the armory I got my rifle from. I sheath my rifle behind my back with the gun strap holding it for me and get my hands on the pistol as instructed.

"Good. Now switch to your rifle."

I sheath the pistol in the holster I was give to switch to my rifle and holding it again with two hands.

"Now pull out your sidearm."

Then I mount my rifle behind me again and to switch to my sidearm. Noticing that it was quicker than pulling out my rifle.

"Remember, switching to your pistol is always faster than reloading. Using your knife is even faster than switching to you pistol. Knife the watermelon."

I holster my pistol and take the combat knife I was given out of my sheath to knife the watermelon on the table in front of me and above Mason. I give it one swing with my knife and it burst open into a fruity mush.

"Nice! Your fruit killing skills are remarkable!"

"I've done some damage to some fruit before," I admit. "Even without a knife."

"I believe Sergeant Newblood would like to see you at demolitions. Your done here for now. Good job, Ms. Amber."

I walk out of the fire range and outside into the morning sun. I always loved the morning atmosphere in Arcadia Bay and I love the morning atmosphere here. A thing some call the golden hour. Perhaps the golden hour has given me life like Superman or Super Girl to awaken me from my death. A military tank out in the open asphalt roller blades itself past me. As well as a military carrier truck and band of trainees jogging on the road of the training encampment. I could even see helicopters out in the distance patrolling the place up in the air.

I head down to demolitions as told. A man standing on a balcony overlooking the demolition training ground waits for me and witnesses approach.

"Ah, the Blackwell girl embraces me with her presence," said the demolition sergeant with an English accent. "You must be the Rachel girl I hear was brought to life from Project Lazarus."

"So they've told you," I said. "Sergeant Newblood, I presume? I was told this was demolitions."

"Yep, you've come to the right place, Ms. Amber," said Sergeant Newblood. "It's time to have a little fun with demolitions, sweet cheeks. Take those grenades and get in the safety pit, Amber."

Can't wait to play catch with grenades. I take some grenades with me off the table where they were placed and enter the safety pit surrounded by sand bags. Then I instructed what to do.

"Now throw grenades at windows two, three, and four," instructed Newblood.

I never really tossed grenades before, put I always knew you had to pull a pin before throwing them. So I do as instructed, pull the pin of every grenade and toss them through the windows numbered two, three, and four. I make every throw count to get an accurate arc around the windows. Every grenade goes off past the windows and inside the small brick shelter where they're supposed to.

"Come back here," said Newblood. "Pick up this grenade launcher."

I step out of the safety pit to grab the grenade launcher off the table. It appeared to be an assault rifle with a grenade launcher attached. I've seen something like this in the movies and I'm seeing this in real time.

"Now get back into the safety pit."

With the grenade launcher in my hands, I step back into the safety pit for further instructions.

"Fire the wall with the number one on it."

My first target was to fire a brick wall marked with a one. Which had to be too close for me to be firing a grenade. But I fire away anyway without question. When the grenade is fired and hits the wall, it doesn't go off. Instead, it deflects itself from the wall and land in the grass without combustion.

"Notice it didn't explode. As you know, all grenades have a minimum safe arming distance. Now pop a grenade in windows five, six, and seven."

I eyeball all my targets to aim my arc accurately as I could to hit my targets. Simply enough, all my grenades I shoot make it past the window with no trouble. I must be a better shot with everything than I figured. After all that, it was time for more test to pass demolitions.

"Come back around and pick up the C4 off the table."

C4, huh? More military tropes you see in movies in TV. I bet even more anti-war supply David would know about. I take the C4 off the table and the detonator linked to it.

"Equip the C4, Amber. Follow me."

With the C4 and detonator in my hands, I follow my demolitions instructor back into the training ground for my last test. Newblood takes me to a used car parked in the demolition field. I assume I'm the one to blow it up with this plastic brick in my hand.

"It seems my ex-wife was kind enough to donate her car to further in your education, Amber. Place the C4 on the hood of the car."

I simply place the C4 bomb on the hood of the car like a piece of cake. Then it was time for me to set it off.

"Now get a safe distance from the explosive."

I do the obvious thing Newblood tells me to do and walk back to my safest distance next to my demolition instructor. Then it was time to blow it.

"Fire in the hole!"

I press the trigger on the detonator and I send the car with a boom. Exploding it into a fiery derelict. Newblood chuckled watching the burning car.

"Much improved," he said. "Alright, Amber, you've passed the weapons evaluation. Go meet with Drill Sergeant Major Heard at the obstacle course. Meet with her there. You are dismissed."

I did what I was asked and proceeded to the running course next door from demolitions. There were already some trainees lined up and the start of the track. There was also a female Drill Sergeant Major standing on the wooden balcony overwatching her trainees on course with a megaphone in her hand. Must be Sergeant Heard as Newblood referred to as.

There was an empty lane in the middle for me to take in the center between every other trainee lined up at the start line. I was a pretty good jogger in gym class back at Blackwell and I was excellent passing an obstacle course too. I should do just fine here.

 _"Well, it seems Mizz Amber here was kind enough to join us,"_ said Major Heard on her megaphone. _"Well don't just stand there like hippies! Go!"_

Everyone including me starts running. My first obstacle was to mantle over a lumber log. Easy enough. I did just that and had to balance myself on the log with my arms in the air. The next few obstacles I had to get through were more logs that I had to duck under and mantle over. I'm starting to think how David would react to my skill if he could see me now.

 _"This isn't a fucking charity walk!"_ said Heard with her grouchy tone. _"Get your asses in gear! Move! Jump over those obstacles!"_

Then there was barbwire I had to crawl under as my next obstacle. I didn't mind crawling on the dirt if I had too. I just hope I didn't get any sharp wire caught in my gorgeous hair. Only that I wasn't here to look pretty for the audience, I was here to prove myself as a soldier to these people. So prone myself on the ground to start crawling.

 _"You crawl like my grandma in her retirement home!"_ Heard retorted. _"I've seen striker commandos move faster than you can!"_

After crawling past the barb wire above my head, there was one more obstacle to run through. Just a couple of logs sticking out of the dirt to run across and then it was off to the finish line.

 _"Move, move, move! What's the matter with you! You want me to be on to you?!"_

I run around the logs in a loop and sprint to the finish line. Then the running course was done and finished.

 _"Hey, Amber. Captain Cage wants to see you at Hanger One. You've passed my little test. Now get out of my site. The rest of you, run it again until you can get the splinters out of your pants! Now!"_

Hanger one was just across the roadway from the running course. I go there to visit the man the drill sergeant referred to as Captain Cage. I get inside the hangar building to find a few soldier crowded with the Captain standing next to Cayce. The man standing next to Cayce front and center obviously had to be him. The captain was bald with facial hair and some shaved side ferns.

"It's the FNG, sir," said Cayce. "Go easy on her, Captain. It's her first day on the regimen."

"Right," the captain said. "What the hell kind of name is Rachel Amber? How'd a Blackwell shit like you end up in selection?"

"Rachel, this is Captain Clayton Cage," introduced Cayce. "He'll be your instructor for this course. I'll leave you both to it."

"What's the matter?" I ask Captain Cage. "You never heard of the Blackwell Legend Rachel Amber?"

"I've only heard stories," he replied. "Alright, Amber. It's time for you to run the CQB test. Everyone else head to observation. For this test, you'll have to run the training course solo in less than sixty seconds. Mason holds the current squadron record at nineteen seconds. Good luck."

To start the CQB course, I had to climb up a ladder up to a high board where a cache of weapons were displayed and a rope was hanging for me to rappel down. This just gets better and better.

"Grab an MP5 and four flash bangs off the table," instructed Cage when I climbed up.

I take the small MP5 and check the magazine to see it loaded. Then I take the flash bangs with me as well. The captain was waiting for me whenever I was ready. It's not like you haven't slid down ropes before, Rachel. Although in gym glass, I never had to put an SMG in my hands. Oh well, captain's orders and the captain is your coach. Then I slide down the rope as soon I was ready.

"Go, go, go!" The captain yells.

I slide to the bottom and three target pop out inside a wooden room.

"Position one! Hit the targets!"

I don't hesitate to aim down my sights, press the trigger, and shoot my targets. My first three targets are down and have to move quickly to my next position.

"Position two! Go!"

I run down a staircase inside the CQB training house and another target spawns down and front.

"Hit the targets!"

My target is shot down. I run down the steps.

"Position three! Flash bang through the door!"

Like the grenades, I pull the pin off one of my flash bangs a through it in a small room marked position three. I cover my eyes knowing I would be blinded by the flash bangs if I don't. The flash goes off with a blinding spark and two target are spawned. Then I shoot them down.

"Position four! Go! Hit the targets!"

I hit more targets marked in an adjoining room marked position four. Then run to another room for the same routine.

"Position five! Hit the targets!"

Targets are hit. Then run to another room marked position six.

"Position six! Flash bangs through the door!"

I throw another flash bang without getting blinded from it to spawn to last targets and shoot them. Then it was time for me to run out the CQB house for one last step.

"Sprint to the finish! Go!"

And finally, I sprint to the finish line as I would in gym and the course ends with a buzzer going off meaning I've passed the trial.

"Alright, Amber, that's enough," said Cage. "You'll do. Climb up the ladder if you want another go. Otherwise, come back over her to speak with Corporal Foley. He'd like to have a word with you personally. The rest of you, come by for a debriefing. That's an order."

 **X/SQUARE/LM - ANOTHER GO**

 **B/CIRCLE/RM - TALK TO CAYCE**

I've had enough running and gunning to last a morning. Whatever Cayce wanted to talk about, it must've been important to him. Didn't care what, but I hoped it was good. So I disarmed myself of my weapons and explosives by placed them back in the cache, and stepped toward Cayce for the talk he wanted. We walked outside to speak privately.

"Hey," said Cayce. "I know - I get that you're uncomfortable with this and all and this seems strange, but know we're only trying to help."

"Help?" I blunt. "Besides from the fact that I've been here for nearly a week with no contact from my parents, Frank, or Chloe, and the fact that every hour I waste playing dead is another hour they see me dead, how is this helping? Why me? Why the fuck would you people bring back for this? I was never born or made to do this. I was meant for something more vulgar than this fighting quantum terrorism nonsense. Meaning I prefer to be a walking zombie in LA than one in this shit pit like this. And now I seem to be evolving super powers. Just why me? Why now?"

"Here's all I know. That Jefferson guy didn't necessarily deliver your body. Chrysalis dug it up. Jefferson didn't want your body to be found, but somehow Crosby forced him to give the location of your burial site and then sent someone in to dig it back up and replace it with forgery. I know that sounds dumb, but believe me, Crosby has done a lot of weird shit over the years no one could imagine he'd achieve that he has. Including Project Lazarus. As much as I for one don't trust the guy myself, one way or another your gonna have to live through this. Even if your friend in family back in Arcadia Bay can't. We spent fortune upon fortune bringing you back. So don't let it be for nothing. Clear?"

"Crystal. So what's next on my pretend-to-be-dead to do list?"

"You'll know soon enough. Now come on. Let's go. We've still got a lot of catching up to do."

 **Note: *mild spoiler* For those who've following my season two story, I'd like you to know that for some reason I regret killing off Captain Cage in the finale and rewrote some of it to keep him alive for my season three story. I have plans for the character in the sequel to perhaps become more of the Sergeant Johnson (from Halo) of Life is Strange and a much likable character. This recurring character might just also be a little bit of a Johnson wannabe in the prequel too. You'll all know in good time! Thank you!**


	6. Initiation

Chapter 6 Initiation

November 8th, 2013

8:58 AM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Training Field

 **Numb/Encore - Jay-Z & Linkin Park**

It had been over a week since my resurrection. Missed Halloween, missed my educational end at Blackwell on the year I was supposed to graduate, missed six months of my life I was supposed to live with Chloe or maybe Frank after my senior year at Blackwell, and missed the most biggest opportunity of a lifetime in LA. It's not like the promise land of my dreams were to kill me anyway. Whatever kills me only makes me stronger.

It was another day of my training that I would partake for another few months or two. This time I would be jogging across an obstacle course with other trainees at the Apex Training Field next door to Apex gate. I'd be attending each training session every Friday until I was ready to be assigned to the Chrysalis agency. I had to bun my hair down and remove my blue jay earring when in training mode. And of course, dress in my recruitment clothes.

Sergeant Newblood was supervising the training field and was recently assigned to be one of my trainers for the next couple months of training as well. I began jogging down the running course starting with small tires I had to hop my feet across with. Newblood stood next to me while I played hop scotch with the tire obstacles.

"Come on, Amber!" Newblood shouted. "Keep up!"

Once I'm passed the tires, I keep up with more boots on the ground by having to jump and mantle over some wooden beams. I simply jump over one beam and mantle over a higher beam. Then I quickly duck under an even higher beam. And then there were monkey bars I had to climb across. Easy enough. I've been climbing monkey bars sine I was seven years old. I was also athletic enough to climb monkey bars in gym class as well. I jumped onto the bars and kept my grip with every oar I held onto.

"Find your grip!" Newblood shouted. "Use your momentum to swing across! Hurry!"

I lost my grip a little on one oar in the middle of climbing, but was able to lift myself to maintain my grip again. Then I passed the bars and my boots are on the ground again.

"That's it, Amber!" Newblood complemented. "Come on! We haven't gotten all bloody day!"

November 15th, 2013

8:50 AM

Oregon/Washington

Apex Gymnasium

It was time for my hand-to-hand combat training with Sergeant Newblood and Staff Sergeant Logos. Logos was a Hispanic man with a buzz cut and Mohawk. The British and Spanish man surrounded me in their fighting clothes while stood in front of them in my fighting wear on the training mat in the middle of the gym. Cayce stood there watching me train with Newblood and Logos.

Logos held two punching pad in his arms to train with. Newblood threw some punches in the air to instruct me some fighting motions. I start throwing a couple punches with my fighting gloves on to begin the basics and hit the punching pads easy as pie. Then Newblood posed some kicks in the air for me to perform. I do one simple kick on the pads for my trainers and the second lesson of the basics is done.

The next couple of moves I have to learn are dodging. Newblood poses and arm block for me to perform. Logos tempts to strike me with his pad and I block it with my arms plain and simple. Then Newblood poses and ducking move for me to do as Logos strikes me again with his hitting pad and I instantly duck down from the strike avoiding it as shown. I turn to where Cayce sits and watches and he shakes his head raising his eyebrows knowing this is so far so good.

Now it was time for me to perform a combo of every combat stunt I was just taught from Newblood to evaluate my progress. I throw more punches at Logos hitting the pads. Then throw a kick. Then block Logos's strikes. Then duck his strikes and finishing my combo with one final kick. Practice makes perfect.

Newblood nods his head with impression. I turn back to Cayce who smirks then walks out the gym for a break. I continue my by giving Logos another punch to him. And my session goes on.

November 22nd, 2013

5:38 PM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Training Warehouse

My next training lesson was cover-to-cover combat. For this session, I had to wear a tactical vest, shades, and cap. I also needed a pistol to shoot with for this training exercise as well. My first lesson in this exercise was learning how to take cover and shoot. Which is exactly what Logos showed.

"Take cover," he said, standing behind a container. "Aim, shoot-"

Logos stepped out of cover, aimed his pistol, and fired a round at a target to show me the ropes.

"Advance to next cover," he finished. "Got it?"

I shake my head and it was my turn now to finish the ropes. I just simply do as instructed as always. I take cover behind the wall, step out of cover and shoot the target. Then it was time for me to shift to the next cover.

"Vamos, get outta there!" Logos shouted.

I sprint over to a stack of sand bags to advanced to my next cover. In order to reach my next target, I had to advance closer. I mantle over the sandbags after taking cover from there and hide behind cover on another container. There were two more targets for to shoot that I had to take down all together. So I step out of cover and immediately fire my targets.

"Cover! Aim! Fire! Vamos!"

I advance further to another stack of sandbags and slide my way to cover. The I raise myself out of cover and shoot my next target. Then I mantle over the sandbags and shoot another incoming target that pops directly in front of me. Then I instantly fire away shooting my last target that ambushes me. If it were a real fight, my reflexes and instant reaction would save my life.

Logos stands next to me while I hold my gun in the air from firing my last round. Then nods his head impressed with my skill.

"Bueno," he compliments.

November 29th, 2013

6:03 PM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Gate

It was time for me to take my initiation exam that would record what I've learned here until now. I've taken notes of what I've learned to study every night as I would for any exam I had to study for at Blackwell. Took notes on my running course training, combat training, etc.

I sat at a desk in classroom inside a building at Apex to start my exam. I take a number two pencil to write down and fill in the bubbles for every answer. I've spent two hours on this exam and I'm down to my last question. When I've completed the exam, I put down my pencil on the desk and turn in my exam. Which I pass the next day.

December 6th, 2013

4:57 PM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Training Field

Autumn had passed and winter had come. Though it was now snowing in Oregon, my training went on outdoors. I was just now wearing winter clothing and so was my trainer Newblood. The training exercise this time required using my powers I've been learning how to handle for two months now. There were barrels stacked in front of me to knock down with my power.

"Okay, recruit," said Newblood. "Now get rid of those oil drums."

I take deep breaths to concentrate on my power. I had to use my blasting power I've learned to knock down the drums. I can feel the chronon juice flowing through my bloodstream to energize my power. Then I charge my power enough to the point where I release my blast and knock the barrels down on the snow. After that, I needed to use my power to put the oil barrels back into a solid stack again.

"Now - put them back together again," instructed Newblood.

I focus on the oil drums as hard as I can by taking a deep breath and raising my hand towards the barrels. Then I concentrate on the barrels as hard as I can and eventually power capitulates to the fallen objects by raising the off the white ground and reversing them back into a stable pile again. Then the exercise was over. My nose bleeds a little, but I've experienced worse with the side effects when adjusting to my power.

"Good," said Newblood. "Let's keep going."

December 13th, 2013

9:05 AM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Gymnasium

The following Friday, it was time for another fighting session with Newblood and Logos as Cayce was watching. Logos and I stood between Newblood and waiting for his signal to let us fight. Then gave us the cue to starting. Then the combat session began.

I raise my two fist in front of me and so does Logos. He swings one punch at me and I block it. He swings another and I block it. He swings another and I block it and counter it by striking him in the face. Logos then performs some kicking strikes at me and I counter them all. Then I perform some kick strikes back to him to knock him down on his knee.

When he gets up to strike me again, I grip his fist and twirl around him and then pull an unloaded pistol at him. Improving my practicality and reflexes with my combat. I turn to Cayce who give me a light smile. I smile back. Practice really does make perfect.

February 7th, 2014

4:51 PM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Training Field

After a two month hiatus from my training due to the winter weather, my training resumed starting at the beginning of February on a rainy early evening. I was now outside in the rain running the obstacle course again to jump and duck over more beams and climb more bars. This time Logos was outdoors with me out in the rain to watch me run the course.

I run on the wet ground with my muddy boots and close in on the proceeding obstacles. I jump over one beam. Then duck under the next. And then I had to prone down on the muddy ground to crawl under a row of wood beams. Running through the course was a lot rougher in the rain. I'd be embarrassed if I slipped or tripped on my latest session after my stellar performance in my training.

"Faster!" Logos shouted. "Keep your skinny ass down! Keep up!"

I crawl and trudge under the beams as quick as I can through the dirt turned mud. Then get back on my feet passed the crawling beams to run to the next obstacles. After jumping over to more beams like a kangaroo, I now had to climb over a big wooden wall with my hands and feet. This should be stimulating.

"Move it, pendaja! It's not a fucking Sunday stroll!"

I climb over every stepping block like a chimp until I reach the top. When I make it to the top, I see that there are no stepping blocks below me. Meaning I have to jump down five feet over the wall. I'm not one with fears for heights, but I've been bold enough to do anything to see the girl of my life named Chloe and the man of my dreams named Frank again up until now. Why should I stop now after three months of training?

I do exactly what I'm expected to do by jumping off the wall and landing on my feet with a belly roll on the soaked dirt. Higher silver.

February 14th, 2014

8:28 AM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Gymnasium

Today was Valentine's Day, but it was no time to find a Valentine or for celebrating. If I wanted to, Chloe or Frank would be my Valentine by now. Well, there's always Max who's probably Chloe's Valentine and maybe Pompidou as Frank's. As long as they've been happy fucking each other on the bay without me and I still need to be here for who knows how long, I'm ruled out of the Valentines.

Before I started another fighting session today, I had to do some muscle stretching before the exercise began. I started by stretching my legs out. Then lowering my arms to the ground and spreading my legs out even further. And then my hand touches the ground and my legs are spread out far enough for my limbs to stretch my muscles. Until I accidentally pull a muscle and break my stretching. I lye down on my back on the training mat holding onto my leg I just pulled. After that, I remembered my healing power.

I take my hands to influence the chronon cells to heal my leg that I pulled. Then in a matter of seconds, my leg is functional again. So I can fight with it. Then I decide to do some pull up before the exercise. I put my hands behind my head, lye down on my back, and start pulling my head up and down. The more I stretch, the better I can fight.

* * *

For this fighting exercise, it would be at a more advanced level of training this time. This time, as part of my advanced training, Newblood and Logos would be showing me how to fight two on one by actually attempting to take them on two on one with the fighting skills I've learned. And then the fight began.

It began with Newblood pulling out a baton to fight with. Newblood took the first strike at me with his baton and I counter it with my arm that indirectly knocking the baton that hits Logos in the face. Then Newblood strikes me with a kick and I counter his every move to where I disarm him from his baton and strike both my trainers with it. Then Logos seizes me with his arms and I use my legs to shove Newblood away from striker his subdued trainee. And of course, I use my elbows to break free from Logos's grip knocking him down on the ground from his chin.

I take the baton to swing it towards Newblood. Not before he could disarm me from it and strike me with his kick. I counter his kick, pin him to the ground holding my knee against his neck and restraining his arm. Then the British trainer smacked his hand on the soft floor to stop the fighting. Practice always does makes perfect.

"Not bad," said Cayce who's watching us as usual.

February 21, 2014

4:50 PM

Oregon/Washington Border

Apex Training Warehouse

Today was my last and final training session before getting into the real action at last. As part of my advanced training, and the final phase of my training as a whole, I had run a stealth course in the training warehouse. The same place I learned to run, cover, and shoot. This time, I was to hid behind sand bags and containers to avoid being seen from Chrysalis soldiers posted around the stealth course and find a way to either maneuver from them or take them out by hand.

The goal of the course was to reach to the red flag on the other side of the course while avoiding any contact the armed troopers. Logos and Newblood were watching from on top of the containers. Cayce would be waiting for me by the flag. I got back in my tactical vest, cap, and shades to dress for my final session. This should be the most exciting exercise yet. I used my time vision to analyze the warehouse for which guards to take car of first. There were five glowing heat auras signifying every post to help me locate every guards. I returned back to my normal vision as soon as I was ready.

I hid behind some sandbags before I could be seen from a guard with a rifle. The guard was about to pass through the sandbags and he would likely see me standing here. I needed something to keep me from giving away my position. I used one of my training balls to toss over my cover and hit an oil barrel. Making noise loud enough for the guard to hear and investigate. When the guard closes in, I mantle over my to reach for him, seize him from his neck to knock him off his feet, and hit him in the face. One down, four more to go.

I run to cover behind a corner of a container before another guard passes through. I stay hidden behind the corner until the guard is close enough to be dealt with. Just like before, as soon as the guard closes in on my position, I step out of the corner to reach for the guard, heave him by his gun, and give him a kick to the shin before knocking him in the face with my bare fist.

There were many more guards for me to deal with in this final exercise. The next guard I took out was simply one from behind another stack of sandbags. Distracted him with the sound of my training ball hitting a drum. Then I seized him from over the sandbags and hit him in the face to knock him out. There were two more guards to take care of. One posted by a container near the red flag. The other one on top of the container above him. I was getting closer to completed this final and I needed to take out the guy on the container first to do so.

I climbed up a ladder to get to the guard on top. I approached to guard as quietly as I could. Crouch walking to reduce clatter from the guard. Then I get a little practical with the guard on take out on the containers. I snare the guard from his gun, disarm him from his gun, and whack his gun to his face knocking him down like a manikin mold. Only one more guard left and I was finished.

To finish the course, I knew exactly how I was going to take down the last guard below me. All I do is swoop down and jump onto the guard from above like Batman and knock his ass down on the floor by his head and he's out cold. Then finally, I reach the red flag and pick up. Finishing my final before Cayce could ambush me and startle me with a gun to my forehead.

"Not bad, Rachel," said Cayce, holding the grip and trigger of an unloaded pistol. "But if this wasn't an exercise, you'd be dead by now."

"If this wasn't an exercise," I say. "You wouldn't be able to open your big mouth, Cayce."

Little did Cayce know that soldier holding a rifle behind his back had taken the upper hand. Cayce released his gun away from my brain and digressed himself.

"Congratulations, Operative Amber," he said. "You made it. Welcome to the agency."

"Thank you, sir," I said. "Much appreciated."

"Your welcome, Rachel. Welcome to the Chrysalis."

As my friend I made in Chrysalis walked off, my two other trainers jumped in to congratulate me. Giving me a pat on the back or knuckle to the shoulder as a token of grant and kindness for passing initiation.

"Oy, looks like you made it," said Newblood.

"Muy bien, Rachel," said Logos. "All gain, no pain."

"Congratulations!"

"Excellente!"

 **Note: My heart goes out to Chester Bennington of Linkin Park who tragically committed suicide earlier this year. I dedicate one of his songs in loving memory of the voice of Linkin Park. RIP Chester: 1976-2017 :(**


	7. Advanced Experiments

Chapter 7 Advanced Experiments

February 24th, 2014

9:30 AM

Portland, Oregon

Chrysalis HQ

Today, I got up early in the morning for some advanced experiments to run through for Dr. Hendricks and Dr. Sorenson the chief science officer. The test they were about run was some sort of testing chamber for me designed to examine my powers. An obstacle course built to use my powers to pass through. I had to wait Monday morning for the experiments after passing my training last Friday. Which was now.

I sat in a clinic waiting for Dr. Hendricks to stop by a run a check-up on me before entering the test chamber. When she came inside, she put her clipboard down on the table and began the check-up. I sat up on the clinic bed for her to check me out.

"Rachel Amber, let's get you checked out," said Hendricks. "Look here."

I look forward staring at the beam of a small flashlight for Hendricks to scan my pupils to check my vision. Then she took notes on her clipboard for recording my check-up.

"Makes it look so easy, doesn't it?" She asked.

"Easy has been a little out of the blue for me until now," I reply. "Not since I first woke up to my new life."

"Well buckle up. Cuz your journey with us is far from done."

"Yeah, I know."

"Over here now. Dr. Sorenson wants you on your feet right away. He says the experiment will be ready within the minute."

"Any idea why?"

"No, but I'm guessing that's where your powers will come in. Okay, everything checks out. Just one more thing before I send you on your way."

Hendricks gets a syringe out to inject me with a dose of Chronox to keep my health firm from the side effects of my power. Ever since the dark room, I started to have a phobia for needles. But since I've been given this drug for some time now, I've gotten used to needles to point my fear grow out of them. The check-up was done. Dr. Sorenson was waiting and I couldn't spare another minute to keep him be.

"I'm ready to get to it," I say.

"You're all done," said Hendricks. "Let's get you on your way."

* * *

After the check-up, I get on my track jacket and pants to prep for the experiment. I first enter the test through a decontamination room before entering test chambers. When I'm passed decontamination, I enter the first room of the test chamber and wait for Dr. Sorenson to walk inside and guide me. Sorenson then steps inside to instruct me. I listen carefully for his directions.

"Ok, Ms. Amber," he began. "Time for business. The purpose of this exercise is to see if your powers are capable of problem solving in the field. Your aim is simple. You have to collaborate with your powers to advance through the course and find the way out. You're gonna have to use your brain and keep your cool under pressure. Chrysalis's top brass have designed this testing chamber especially for you and your power. I'll be in the control room keeping track of your progress. Good luck, recruit Amber."

"I'm gonna need it," I say.

"Indeed in your are. You go for it, Rachel. Just do your thing."

As soon as Dr. Sorenson walked out, it was time for me to run the course. I walk pass an automatic door to my first room that required my powers. The place was beginning to feel like entering the puzzle rooms from Portal. It's like Glados could be talking to me through an intercom right now to guide me through to a furnace to burn me alive just like the game. Surely that wouldn't happen.

The first puzzle I had to solve was to open a locked automatic door marked with a digital red light to signify it's lock. There appeared to be some kind of locking switch on the wall where it looked as if my power could manipulate it to unlock the door. I raise my hand to lock my rewind power onto the mechanism to reverse it in the other direct and unlock the door in front of me. Then a digital green light was lit on the door the signify it's unlock and I was free to walk through.

The next room I enter has a big stack of giant cubes stacked like a wall to barricade my path. This must be the place where I use my blast power. And I do just that. Even if it's only my second room where I already must using my blast. I charge up my chronon energy to fire up my blast and then fire a way. The cubes shatter and tumble to the white floor like baby blocks obstructing the barricade and clearing the path. This was really beginning to remind me a lot of Portal.

When getting passed the wall of cubes, I walk around the fallen blocks to reach for a panel I need to touch my hand with to activate another door. I place my hand on the panel so it can be scanned. Then it opens a small thin door for me to crawl under to the next room. Not sure why I would crawl to the next room, but I had to do what I had to do.

When I crawl under the small thin door, it takes me to a dark room with no lighting from me to see through. Now things looked pretty challenging. Luckily, I remembered my time vision that I could use to see objects in the dark and that's what I do next.

As soon as my time vision is activated, I notice blue auras in the room. It was some kind of lighting designed to see through my super vision. I could use the lighting to guide my way through the dark maze I had entered. I do just that by following the lights through the maze to guide me to the finish. I could hold my super thermal vision for long, so I needed to find my way out quick before I exhaust all me chronon juice and bleed my nose out. Eventually I see the door that's lit green that is my exit out of here. I had made it through the maze.

In the next room, there was a fire barrier in my path that I safely assumed needed to be put out. But how? It's not like there was a fire extinguisher for me to use to put the flames out. There wasn't. There was however, panels in the room for me to use. Three of them to be exact. They were likely to help me put out the flames. I press my hand on one panel and it activates a switch on the wall linked to the panel. There was something more I needed to do. It required my power. I had to lock my power on the switch to put out the fire.

I concentrate my rewind power on the switch in order to power the sprinklers that would put out the flames. I do the same routine with the other two panels linked to the other two mechanisms. When that routine is finished, the sprinklers are activated and start raining down on the flames that are put out in a flash. The path was cleared, the light was green, it was time to proceed to the next room.

In the next room, I had to get up a high ledge with a cube stuck on top. Time for me to use my rewind tool again. I used it to reverse the cube back to the bottom so I could use it to climb up the ledge. I climb over the giant cube to use as a stepping cube to get to the ledge. Then I climb over the ledge when I reach for it standing on the cube. Once I'm on higher ground, there was a small lift for me to take to a door built on the wall on higher ground. To take the lift upwards, there was another rewind switch for me to use to do so. I activate my power again to flip the switch and the lift takes me up to the door.

The next room was about to get more attention-grabbing. In the next room, there was a round silver boulder hanging from the ceiling next to another wall of blocks. I immediately knew what my next task was. I was going to have to use the boulder to swing it towards the wall and collide into it to clear my path. Where my time blast would prove useful again.

I stand behind the boulder to charge up my blast. Then my blast is fully charged so I can thrust it at the boulder breach through the wall. It does just that when my blast power forces the boulder forward and breaks through the cube wall. Just like before, the cubes collapse into a mess and then I step out of the way before the boulder could swing backwards and hit me like Homer Simpson. I then proceed passed the breached cube wall.

My last and final task in the room after the cube wall was about to get more exigent. I had to escalate myself to puzzle that I would need to solve and high ground to reach all the way to another door on high ground that would require an immense use of my power. I've made it this far, I won't turn back now. Things were really beginning to feel very Portal-esque without the portal guns and portals and Gladoses. This is how I complete the final task.

First, I climb up some stepping blocks to reach the high ground. Second, I was going to have to use my rewind power to summon a conveyer platform to my side so it would to take me to another high platform. Then I have to lock on my power again to another switch that helps me move a ladder of monkey bars to climb over to a lift that would take me up ever higher. I climb the bars, get on the left, and flip the rewind switch again to take it up. Third, I was going to have to extend a platform, use another conveyer platform to reach another panel that would activate another lift to help me reach the door, and then the task would be over.

I manipulated a rewind switch on the wall to extend the bridge and get across the narrow gap. Then I carefully shimmy across a ledge to get across the side of the room where the door is built. Then I active the rewind switch with my power numerous times to use the conveyer platform to reach the panel that activates the lift to get across to the finish door and then last to the door itself. Once all of that said and done, I walk through the finish door and my experimental exercise was complete.

When I reach the finish room, Dr. Sorenson is there waiting for me. I almost startle him, as if he were expecting me to complete this exercise on my first go or not, when his eyes catch me. He was daunted regardless.

"Wow," he said. "I am blown away, Rachel. I know what you can do, but that, you just sailed right through the exercise. You really are the Mary Sue of Blackwell people say you are just as well as your a Mary Sue to us. Next time we're gonna have to find something a little bit more difficult. Well done, Rachel. I knew you could do it."

"I really outdid myself out there, didn't I?" I ask.

 **Note: For those confused about Rachel's power, there is a difference between her rewind and Max's rewind in my fiction. Max's rewind power is capable of rewinding all of her surroundings. Rachel's rewind only works on a single object or matter she can manipulate and lock onto to put things back together or whatnot. Which was what the switches in the experimental exercises were designed for. Hope you get the idea now.**

 **If any of you have played Before the Storm, some of you might now know that Rachel already had a mystical power of her own and a superior one compared to Max's that was shown vividly at the end of episode one. The devs have confirmed that she has some kind of power to manipulate nature and cause fires or whatever else. Maybe she's the reason why there's wildfires in Arcadia Bay. I also might have some ideas to show off that power at some point in this prequel but not in this episode. Her power in BTS remains a mystery until further episodes are released.**

 **Needless to say, I was gonna post this last night if only the internet wasn't down at my place that I needed to do so. It wasn't just college that kept me. No worries.**


	8. The Embassy

Chapter 8 The Embassy

March 2nd, 2014

7:02 PM

Brasilia, Brazil

Palacio do Planalto

My first official field assignment with Chrysalis and Agent Cayce Foley was officially underway. The first assignment I was taking on was a rather slippery but subtle task. Cayce and I had to travel from Portland all the way to Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil just to complete the assignment. Never did I imagine having to travel down to the south end of the world to accomplish it. At least we would be flying straight back to Portland as soon as the task was finished.

Once we got off our plane to Brasilia and booked our hotel room to stay for a couple days, we made arrangements for our assignment in our room we rented to ensure our success. It was only a day ago when our flight arrived here in the Brazilian capital city and tonight was the night we crashed the Brazilian President's political embassy party to do what we came here for. At least we were far away from the civil war between the loyalist and insurgents down in Bolivia. That was our grain of salt.

These were the phases of our field mission. Phase one: walk inside dressed as formal patrons and be greeted to President Dilma Rousseff in embassy. Phase two: meet with out undercover contact in Peace Corps Kristine Prescott for advisory. Our contact was indeed related to the Prescotts from Arcadia Bay and was the older sibling of the late Nathan Prescott. Phase three: find a hiding place to hack into surveillance and guide Cayce upstairs in the capitol building without detection. Above all, the main objective was to find the secret intel on the El Eterno propaganda and leave the building with out drawing attention.

And so our mission began waltzing right into the Palcio do Planalto holding arms where the embassy party was taking festivity all dressed in our formal fashion. I wore a red velvet dress that was supposed to be my dress for senior prom and Cayce wore a black tux for the occasion. Pretending to be casual patrons attending a political event. The festivities were occupying the main hall as the party's ball room. Where guest had their dresses and tuxes on as well. I could see a nice fountain centered in the ball room where a few patrons stood and socialized. There was also drinks and food on tables for people to eat and drink at this important event. Now it begins for the two of us.

"I feel like everyone's looking at us," I said.

"That's not just a feeling," said Cayce. "Everyone 'is' looking at us."

"Who are these people?"

"Diplomats, politicians, businessmen, spies. It's the usual embassy crowd. But the most important thing: act natural. If anyone speaks to you, just smile."

"So do you want me to act natural or do you want me to smile?"

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor."

"Chloe and I always had our sense of humor."

"Cayce, I'm delighted you could attend," said a woman with a Brazilian accent and dressed in a jacket and Brazilian shoulder belt. Approaching the two of us with her body guards. Had to be the president.

"Always a pleasure, Madam President," said Cayce, shaking her hand. "I would like you to meet my assistant, Rochelle. Rochelle, this is President Dilma Rousseff."

Chrysalis had given me an alias name of Rochelle Allison to keep my true identity undercover from any exposing media that might leak my appearance signifying that I'm alive. Had to call myself Rochelle from now on whenever I'm on a mission.

"I was unaware that American diplomacy was undertaken with such...disarming charm," said President Rousseff. "The pleasure is mine, Rochelle."

"Gentlemen, I give you back our host," said Cayce, referring to the guards. "We'll talk later, Rousseff."

"Until then, Cayce," said Rousseff.

Cayce escorts me away from the President and her guards to another area in the embassy. The look on the woman's eyes were somewhat indecisive. Did her and Cayce really know each other or just pretending to?

"She hates me," admits Cayce. "The whole time she's imagining my head on a stick. I think she found you charming."

"I should be flattered," I say. "Everyone I come across finds me charming."

"Okay, I'm gonna shake some hands. You go find our contact in this room we were told she'd be. Then you go blend in, find somewhere quiet. You know what you have to do."

Cayce turned his head somewhere else to find where he should start mingling. A stranger caught his eye and called for him.

"Ambassador!" He called out. "Your a sight for sore eyes!"

Then I was on my own. Left to find our contact myself before finding my hidey hole to hack into surveillance. I felt nervous walking through a crowd of Brazilian diplomats at a political reception, but kept the insecurity to myself by acting natural and smiling. Just like Cayce told me to. Now to find that contact.

Eventually, I see a young woman in a dress standing behind a food and refreshment table holding a glass of champagne in her hand. She was only a few years younger than me. And fiver years older than her dead brother, Nathan. It was definitely, Kristine. As much as I'd like to walk up to her and offer my condolences for the loss of her late sibling, I couldn't tell her who I really was. I had to refer to myself as my alias. Don't know why Nathan had to die or why my ex-mentor would kill him, but I had to stay concentrated on the mission. I approach Kristine and stand next to her to talk.

"You came," she said. "You must be Rochelle, I presume?"

"That' me," I reply. "I was told you'd be here. It's Kristine, right? You know what we have to do."

"Yes I do. Pay close attention. The intel your looking for is in the President's office upstairs hidden inside a vault hidden behind a portrait. It's off limits, but if you can hack into security and guide your partner Cayce through without detection, you'll get what your looking for."

"Is there a way for Cayce to get past those guards by the stairs? Can't just waltz up there with them standing guard."

"No you can't. But you can access the top floor with an ID card I forged for Cayce. Make sure he gets this."

Kristine lends me an ID card for Cayce to use to get past security. I take it from her so he could get it from me.

"Thanks," I say. "Didn't know we'd use this."

"How else do you think we'd do it?" She asks. "Off you go now. Before anyone suspects us."

I find Cayce mingling with the Ambassador he saw as soon as I left the Prescott lady undercover in Peace Corps. He sees me approaching him and excuses the Ambassador to talk with me. I directly hand him over the key card face to face.

"I think you'll be needing this," I say.

"I'll take it," he says. "Now go find a place to patch yourself in. Radio me in when you do."

The only place seemingly necessary for me to hack security systems was in the woman's restroom. I walk in there without drawing suspicion from the bouncers. When I'm in the john, there are three women in dresses preoccupied with themselves. One of them stares at the mirror putting on her mascara. Two of them are socializing speaking Portuguese.

I step inside one of the stalls hidden from the female patrons and lock the door. Then I sit on the toilet seat and reach for my laptop I carried inside my dress to access surveillance. Once I'm patched into the cams on my computer screen, I radio Cayce in for his cue.

"Okay, Cayce," I say on my ear comm. "I'm in. Are you ready?"

 _"What do we got?"_ he asks.

"There's large painting in one of the rooms upstairs. Behind it is a safe. The documents we're looking for are inside. But there will be guards and cameras. So you have to be careful. I'll be watching you through the cameras. You got it?"

 _"Affirmative, I'll try getting past those bouncers by the stairs right now. Wish me luck."_

When scanning through the cams on my computer screen, I search for Cayce on the ball room cam and see him attempting access upstairs. He holds up his ID card to the guards and they let him up. Then walks up the stairs easy as pie. I scan through the other cams to make sure what Cayce is in for up top.

 _"Okay, Rachel. I'm upstairs."_

"I can see the President's office on cams. One with a portrait of Rousseff. This is the place. But there's a security room to your left up the steps. Where you'll likely need to deal with a guard watching the cameras. He'll need to be dealt with first."

 _"Will do. Cayce out."_

I see Cayce walking up the steps on my screen with the cameras I hack. When he up on the floor above, he walks into the security room and talks to the guard monitoring the cameras speaking Portuguese. The guard is confused as to why he walked in at first tries to tell him he's not allowed in and then instantly knocks him out with a mug of hot coffee. There was no one to watch the monitor screens now.

 _"Okay, nobody will be able to monitor the main office now. We should be safe."_

"The office should be just ahead of you. Look for two big doors down on the other side of the floor and you should be inside."

 _"Got it."_

I see Cayce on my screen entering the office. Then he radios me back for more advisory.

 _"Alright, Rachel. I'm inside the office. Now how do I find those documents?"_

"There's gotta be a switch somewhere to move the painting. That's where you'll find the intel. It should be behind the portrait of Rousseff, remember?"

 _"Yeah, I remember. But how am I supposed to know where a switch would be?"_

"Try looking for one under the desk or something."

Cayce attempts to search the desk as I recommended. He searches under the desk and there's no switch. Then searches the drawers and there's no switch. Then he searches the other drawers and there a switch in front of his eyes.

 _"Found it."_

My partner pressed the red button assuming it's the switch to the safe and it opens the Presidential portrait upward revealing a safe behind it.

"There it is, Cayce. You got it."

 _"Yeah, but there's a retinal scanner that looks like it scans finger prints to right user. I doubt my hand will work on the safe."_

Then Cayce turns his head to the doors of the office hearing a voice approaching. Someone else was coming inside.

 _"Shit, someone's coming. Hold on."_

Cayce quickly hides behind the corner of the door and hold onto a vase. He was likely to use it against whoever was coming inside. A guard walks inside and then Cayce gives him the element of surprise by smashing the vase on the head of the body guard immediately rendering him out cold. The guard dropped to the floor and Cayce found a solution to opening the safe.

 _"I think I just found my ticket to accessing that safe. One moment please."_

"Now let's see if you can open the safe."

Cayce drags the unconscious body by the arms over to the safe so he could scan the guard's hand with it. He does just that and the safe is open.

 _"Open sesame."_

"Good job. Now we have to read the documents. Make it quick. Sooner or later someone's gonna come up there to discover something's up."

Cayce digs into the files to read them. He reads them out loud on comms. I grab my pen and notepad out of my purse to write down what the documents say.

 _"Okay, make sure your writing this down as I read. It says here that El Eterno was been fighting loyalist across the country of Bolivia for months. These insurgents have been buying weapons and resources from another known quantum terrorist organization, Neo-Chrysalis."_

"Neo-Chrysalis? Who are they?"

 _"It's also saying they're building some kind of super weapon to wipe out La Paz, the capitol city. Their leader, Hugo Alvarez, appears to be involved with some mysterious plan related to weapons of mass destruction. Something their referring to as bring about the end of time itself. Whatever this is, we need to inform Chrysalis intelligence ASAP."_

"Whatever gets us to complete my first task in the field, we'll do so."

 _"I'm coming back to the ball room. I'll meet you down there pronto. Cayce out."_

As soon as I finish writing down what Cayce had read on the documents, a loud knock was heard on the door to my staff. I gasp in fear and panic for a moment. It was a guard knocking on my stall. He yelled through the door speaking Portuguese demanding to know what I'm up to. Luckily, our Prescott contact was there to come to the rescue.

Kristine walked into the restroom speaking Portuguese to the guard and argued with him for a few seconds until she talked him out of the room. When the guard had left, she stepped inside my stall to grab the notes I took of the intel Cayce had read through the comms. She picked them off the floor where I tore them out and tossed them so she and deliver them to my partner herself.

"Sorry," said Kristine. "I can't do anything else to help you. Good luck."

Kristine walked out of the stall and I wait for her to leave the restroom before leaving my stall. As soon as I hear the door open and shut from outside, I know our secret contact has left the room and that's when I leave the stall. Also when I leave the restroom to find Cayce in the ball room where he told me to meet him.

I hide my laptop back in my dress when I step out of my stall and leave the woman's restroom. I search for Cayce back in the ballroom who's sitting on a leather chair reading the notes I took of the documents. That's when our eyes meet each other's.

"There you are, Rachel," he says. "I read the notes you took Kristine just gave me. They're enough to debrief Chrysalis from this mission."

"Good, I wanna go now," I say.

"Right, yeah, we're leaving now."

Cayce escorts me back to the exit out of the capitol building ending this mission. Once we start walking out, President Rousseff sees us hustling out to the door with a chary frown. She definitely had an idea what we were up to at this party. At least we won't be dealing with her bite worse than her bark. Not anymore.


	9. Date Night

Chapter 9 Date Night

March 8th, 2014

7:02 PM

Portland, Oregon

Osprey Apartments

 _"Oh yes. I just might make a model out of you yet, Rachel. You manage to exceed my expectations in your beauty for something picture perfect. This was to be our little trip together for a dream of a lifetime. Never in my dark room have I had the best poser yet. Don't move! You'll screw up my shots! You little bitch! I do you one favor! One favor! And this is how you repay me?!"_

I gasp wide awake and jerk my body forward on the couch. Waking from another damned nightmare revisiting my dark room familiarity. Hard to believe it's been eleven months since that nightmare began. Even after eleven months escaping that nightmare and being resurrected six months prior, I'm still tethered to the strings of Jefferson's denizen. A nightmare to don't just let go mentally and physically. Even after five months under Chrysalis protection, I'm still at the indecision of trusting these people.

I never deserved to be drugged and abducted by my own Blackwell apprentice and his Prescott stooge and then brought back from my fatal overdose like a lab rat. Let alone taken away from the very people I swore to stick together until the end of time. Whenever Chrysalis decides to release me back to Arcadia Bay and relieve me from my duties I do for them, I hope somehow I can explain to them what has happened to me wholly and why I couldn't reach for them when I could've. It's a good thing Max Caulfield is out there now making Chloe smile again. As long as she has her back, Crosby's orders for me to cease my existence was for the best. Frank on the other hand is someone who could use someone to bond with like we always have even with the exception of Pompidou. I being the only Blackwell student to him without an excuse for his so-called drug dealing code: "Higher Education". Occasionally, so.

Speaking of education, Crosby was able to hook me with some online schooling to help me graduate my senior year. With some online teachers to get me through my subjects. Something I've been getting to work on for the past five months away from the bay now. If only I could get through senior year back at Blackwell, had it not been for my dark room incident, I would not be here doing otherwise.

The television screen in my living room was on. It was now evening looking outside the dark sky outside my penthouse window. I was given this penthouse by Chrysalis on Osprey Apartments sometime after my training. A nice looking one for my first penthouse. Always wanted one like this whenever I would start living in Los Angeles back home. The screen on my TV was turned to the TBS channel showing the Seth MacFarlane cartoon American Dad. How long have I taken nap? Last time I checked my watch before I passed out, it read 5:17. I look at my watch again and it reads 7:03. I've been out for almost two hours. Then my home phone rings I left lying on the cochins. I turn off the TV with my remote and answer the phone.

"Yeah," I say.

 _"Rachel, hey it's Cayce,"_ he says on the phone.

"Oh, hey Cayce. What's up?"

 _"I was just wondering if I can come over to your place for a date?"_

"A date? Here? Tonight?"

 _"I suppose so. I've been off duty for the weekend and I'd like to come over there for a date. Dinner maybe?"_

"Umm...sure I guess. We haven't had another date in over a month now. How long before you get here?"

 _"You know what, it's too late now. It's getting late for me anyways. Maybe another time?"_

"Oh no, it's okay. You - you can come over here for dinner tonight. You wanted to see my apartment anyway. So..."

 _"Uh - sure, but..."_

"How bout around eight?"

 _"Okay, yeah. I'll bring a kick-ass bottle of wine. See you later."_

"You too. I'll prepare supper and set everything up in less than an hour. Later."

Cayce and I have been seeing each other since day one. Not exactly dating each other since, but about a month prior sometime before Thanksgiving. We actually went to a Thanksgiving buffet here in Portland as our first date. Since then; I always found him charming, intelligent, and even comedic at times. Always found him to be charming, intelligent, and even comedic at times. Whether it'd be during a training session, a walk in the park, or any other activity I spent with him, I began to fall for him. Just how I fell for Frank. Just how I fell for Chloe.

Though sometimes I felt like shit for cheating on my Arcadian lovers back home and still do even now, I felt like Cayce had cared about me a lot since taking my first breath to my next life on that day during the mercenary break-in. Which is what prompted my trust in him. Giving me a reason to actually care about a person who decided to be there for me when everyone else I knew before couldn't. I made a knew friend here in Portland. A knew friend in Chrysalis. A new friend in need. I'll just remember what my old pals said. And now we were beginning to become a little more than just friends. I'm glad for that at the very least and most.

Okay, Rachel. It's four after. I have an hour to make dinner, tidy up, and make myself look good. There was a little mess made in my living room that I was going to have to pick up. I put away some books I've read back on the selves when picking them off the living room table and floor. I even hide some DVD movie cases lying on the floor under the drawers of my TV table. I turn on the stereo in the living room and tune in a station for some music to hear during supper. There was also trash for me to pick up too. A pizza box, bag of chips, soda cans, paper balls, all went in the trash can in the kitchen.

Next on my to do list was what to make for supper. I get out my cook book from my kitchen drawers and find something to cook for dinner. I miss what Joyce used to make for dinner whenever I had some at Chloe's place. At least I was able to learn how to cook well from her just for this moment or anything moment needed cooking. I had to find something I could make in one hour with whatever was left in the fridge. These were my options.

Option one, Asian beef. Looked good and wasn't too complicated to make. Option two, curried chicken with over-baked vegetables. It would take time in the oven, but it seemed doable. Option three, pizza delivery. Not exactly gourmet, without any preparation or mess, it's the easiest option out there. Then I come to the decision to make chicken curry.

With a little down-home flavor, Cayce is going to love that. Just as long as I don't fuck it up. Though I could've chosen pizza delivery without the mess and complication, it'd have to spend money. When I just spent some on the pizza I ordered last night. After all, chicken curry would be a bit more professional for my taste and perhaps his. And so I gathered everything to cook away.

I pre-heat the oven to four-fifty degrees and open the fridge to grab some veggies and frozen chicken to start cooking. I get out a knife to start cutting the peppers on the cutting board and dice then into bits and organize them in a cutting pile. I do the same with the onions that make me tear a little. Once everything I needed for flavor was cut to bits, I cut open the plastic of the raw chicken so I can get my recipe ready to start baking on the pan in the oven. So far so good.

Next thing I needed was an oven dish to start cooking. I used a stool to reach for the dish in the top cabinets. When I have everything on the dish, I add some spice, salt, pepper, and ginger for more taste. Though ginger wasn't in the recipe, it couldn't hurt to have some. I was going to need all the help I could get. Then into the oven it goes. Now for the table in the dining room.

I walk into the dining room to take out some plates and silverware for Cayce and I to dine with on the table. Plates for us to eat the chicken and knives and forks for us to use on the chicken to chow with. Then to add a little more romantic taste, I set some candles on the table next out plates and light them with a match. Then I realize I had almost forgotten about the dirty clothes in the living. I pick them off the floor to toss them in the laundry basket. Which reminded me I was going to need to shower before Cayce arrived. If I wanted to make this a perfect date, I was going to have to smell nice for him.

I shut the bathroom doors, take off my clothes, and step inside the shower to run some warm water on my skin. I let the running water poor down on me like a mermaid bathing under a waterfall. I rub my soft skin with handsome, soak my long blonde hair with hot water and shampoo, and bathe like a princess for her prince or a lioness for her lion. Then I turn off the running water, step out of the shower, and dry my wet skin and soaked hair with a towel. I put a bra and blouse on from my bathroom closet and walked into my bedroom to find something nice to wear for when Cayce arrives.

I open my wardrobe in my bedroom to find something the least bit elegant for this date. My options were to were my prom dress I wore to the embassy, a shit and vest, or a blazer. I took out the blazer from it's wire hanger and put in front of my body to see it in my reflection in the mirror. I try to say something to prepare myself for when I open the door for Cayce and he sees me in my blazer and put my first impression on him.

"Oh, hello Cayce," I say in the mirror. "Oh, do you like it? Classic? Elegant? Je ne sais quoi? (I do not know what?) Classy. It's the new me and it shows that I can adapt to any situation."

And so I put the blazer on with some slacks and a pair of high heels and I looked super sharp checking myself out in the mirror. Dinner still needed a few minutes to cook and Cayce still needed some time to arrive. I returned to the living to watch some television while I waited. I drink a little bit of my flask when so. Taking a sip of my last chug of alcohol. Then I realized how I passed out. I must've been hung over for a couple hours.

And then I remembered that there were some dishes in the sink needed to be clean. I got up off the couch, turned the TV off, and washed the dishes in the kitchen. That is when my doorbell rang. Cayce was here. I marched to my door to open it for my partner. I open the door to see Cayce wearing a dark shirt and holding his wine bottle. We grin at one another for a nice warm welcome.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," he says back. "Uh, Chateau-Margaux 2001. Guy in the store said it was a pretty good year."

"My dad drank sherry, but that sounds pretty good to me."

I let the young man step inside my penthouse, shut the door behind, and our date begins. The man himself observes the place and finds it tidied up as I made it to be for our date.

"Oh, why don't you sit?" I ask. "I'll get the uh...the thing that opens the wine."

"It's a cool apartment," complimented Cayce.

"Yeah, thanks."

I walk back into the kitchen to grab the bottle opener out of the drawers. With some wine glasses for us to drink our wine with. I march back to Cayce sitting on the couch in the living to open our bottle and start drinking. I sit down next to him and set the glass down on the living room table so we can open the bottle with my opener.

"Do you want me to open it?" Cayce asked.

"No, no," I reply. "I'll do it."

I twist the opener into the wooden cork and pull it open. Then I poor the wine into the glasses for us to drink. We pick up our glasses to make a toast.

"Thanks," says Cayce. "To your new apartment."

"To my new apartment," I say.

We cling our glasses together and take a sip of our wine. Then we started talking.

"This reminds me," I say. "There was a time back in Arcadia Bay when I was still around with Chloe when we stole wine from a couple in a park."

"You two stole wine from a couple in a park?" Cayce questioned. "How?"

"About four years back when we started hanging out, we ditched school on a train that took us to the park. I had to pretend I was having a heart failure in front of the couple while Chloe had to forcibly motivate a man to revive me. Then I got up and we took the wine bottle without the noticing. It was hilarious."

"I think you've told me a few crazy stories about you and Chloe back in Arcadia Bay. Anything else?"

"Well, I believe Chloe told me a story about her and Max when they were kids, before I moved to the bay and when Chloe's real dad was alive, about when her and Max spilt a whole glass of wine they stole from her dad's rack all over carpet. They got into some deep shit and had to scrub the floor for hours. The residue of the wine stain is still there on the floor to do this day. The wine spill was enough to stain the carpet for eternity. Don't know why her mom didn't decide to re-carpet the living room. Don't care."

"Hmm. So are you liking the new apartment we gave you?"

"Yeah, sure. It's fine. It's treated me well for the past couple of weeks."

"Chrysalis found it for me. All furnished and everything. Which is - it's actually the first place I've ever had, just - by myself. It's so weird getting used to the idea of it. And how bout you? Where do you live?"

"Oh, I have a place just outside of town. Small, but you know, it's got a little garden and it's pretty quiet."

"And did you grow up here or?"

"No, I was born in Washington. My parents and brother still live there. But I moved out when I was sixteen."

"Sixteen? Did you get kicked out or something?"

"Uh, well things were pretty...chaotic at home. My stepfather like to beat me when he had to much to drink. And uh...I just decided to get out before any of us got to far. And believe it or not, I actually started my high school education at Blackwell Academy myself."

"Really? You were a Blackwell student? In Arcadia?"

"Sure was. In fact, I actually had a better life there. And a better home away from home. I graduated in 2004, earned my scholarship, and was the top of my class at Blackwell."

"How did you end up working with Chrysalis?"

"I went through college not really knowing what to do. I tried the army. You know, action, travel, adventure, long enough to realize that wasn't for me. Then when a Prescott Internship recruiter approached me and said there was an open job for me at Chrysalis, I jumped at it. Since the Prescott Foundation was the one who helped find and fund for Chrysalis, they were the one who approached me for that job. Nowadays, I hear rumors about the family making thing worse than they have better in the town the own. Something about a Pan Estates running people out of their jobs and businesses being shut down because of it. Terrible story really. Greatness doesn't last forever."

Then I remembered the chicken curry in the oven. It was probably about time to take it out of the oven and eat.

"I should probably...you know," I say. "I'm gonna go check on the dinner. Because this cooking thing is a whole new adventure to me."

"You need help?"

"No, but why don't you go down and sit? And more wine would be nice."

"Okay."

I went back to the kitchen to take out the chicken curry out of the oven and take it back to the dining room for us to eat. Cayce refilled our glasses with more wine. He was already sitting down at the table waiting for me to bring the food. I set it down on the table and make a plate for both of us.

"Mm, smells good," said Cayce.

"Oh, it's chicken curry with oven-baked vegetables," I said. "That's what it's supposed to be so..."

"I didn't know you cooked and it looks great."

I made Cayce and I a plate of the chicken curry with a spatula to dig the chicken out of dish and placed it on our glass plates. Surprisingly enough, I did an outstanding job baking the chicken and didn't burn the whole apartment building doing so. The food I made smelled delicious. Even with the ginger I added that was never part of the recipe. Chloe and her mom Joyce would be amazed about how well I cook.

So far this date with Cayce was turning out to be better than the ones I would have with Frank or Chloe. A more professionally romantic date I've ever had since Arcadia Bay. Chicken, wine, and candles had done it all. I then sit down on the dining table and we start chewing on some homemade chicken curry with out silverware. Cayce took his first bite and was impressed.

"Mm, this is good," he responds.

"Good, I'm - I'm glad...I'm glad you like it," I reply.

We continue our conversation we had back on the couch as we eat.

"So we've been working together now for what?" Cayce asked. "Like five months? And I know almost nothing about you other than the commendable Blackwell prodigy you once were."

"Well, I mean, where do I even begin to start talking about my life?" I ask. "There's just so much to say. I grew up with my parents in California. My Dad found a job in the DA here in Oregon. We moved here so he could take it."

"And your parents. Do you still see them?"

"No. No I don't. I - I think they were just broken up about something I never appreciated about them...and they just left each other. Just like that. It was dark time for my family in Arcadia. At least I always had people in town to look after me and look up to. Frank, Chloe, her mom Joyce, and even her step-dad David. Who she'd often refer to as step-warmonger such as. Or step-fuhrer, or step-douche, step-dick, you name it. David was a military man who Chloe could never get along with as much as her real dad William. Her and I both had our family complications. It's something we had in common in a small town."

"What about this Frank guy? What's his story?"

"Frank is a different story. He was my drug dealer and Chloe and I were one of his clients."

"He was a drug dealer?"

"Don't get me started. Drug dealer or no, he was more than just a skeevy lowlife living in a RV to me. We had a thing for each other once. I always figured he was a man who needed someone special in his life to look after and I chose to be that person. I also had a thing for Chloe too. She never knew I was getting in bed with Frank and I feel like utter shit for not letting her know. I'm only worried if she ever found out. Doesn't matter now. She's probably out there finishing what her and Max started years before her best friend's leave to Seattle thinking I've been dead for months."

I sigh in sadness. Taking a moment of silence of what I've grieved for months now. Then I snapped back to Cayce to apologize.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to get emotional. I just..."

"Rachel, it's okay," replied Cayce. "I know it's been rough and I know you miss your friends back home and have been homesick since you awoken to your next life. And I know it never sounded fair to you making yourself scare and letting them believe your dead. I totally get that. Don't want to talk about, no one's making you. Anyways, did Crosby at all explain to you how your linked to your powers?"

"Sort of. Just not completely. From what Crosby had told me, he said that I'm exposed to a source called chronons that are what make me have these powers. That's pretty much all he said really. I mean, that's what he said when we first met fact to face."

"So...can you use your powers now?"

"I can if I wanted to, but not right now. We're in the middle of our date. So what about you? Do you have family here?"

"No. No, uh, my parents are still in Washington. I go to see them as little as possible."

"And are you, um, are you married or anything?"

"No, no. Yeah, I mean, I was. My ex-wife and I have been separated for...two years. And uh, it couldn't work. I mean, in the end it didn't. You know, we had our good times, but eventually decided to go our separate ways. How bout you? Anyone on your radar?"

"That's kind of a dumb question to ask. No offense, but considering how I went MIA after my dark room incident and was declared KIA six month prior, I've been pretty much off everyone's radar for almost a year now. I still can't imagine how devastated people have felt about my false death. I really hate bringing it up the longer I stay dead. The sooner I get back to Arcadia, the better."

"I'm sorry, Rachel. But I meant anyone who knows you're still alive here in Portland."

"You know, Dr. Hendricks and Sorenson have always had a good heart for me. Just like all my teachers in Blackwell. Just like Newblood and Logos. Just like Crosby is feeling about me now."

"You're special. Rachel...as far as I'm concerned, I'm the only person you have left to care about. Ever since the day you woke up from that morgue and found me shooting some mercs in that lounge, I couldn't help but to fall for you and care about you a whole lot. Have you ever cared about me back? I really want to know."

 **X/CIRCLE/LM - SHIP CAYCE**

 **B/SQUARE/RM - REJECT CAYCE**

I hold Cayce's hand. Then I gradually nudge over to him for my lips to close in on him. With no reluctance whatsoever, my lips touch his and we grant ourselves a gentle kiss for each other. Then I got off my chair. Cayce got off his. And then we kiss again for a few seconds longer. I now have shipped another relationship I made for myself. Cayce was now my new boyfriend. I was now his new girlfriend. And just like everyone else I loved before him, I accepted this ship with no regrets. Even if I did have regrets to let go of, I still had this thing I've made with Cayce to hold onto.

We finished the dinner and left the dining room. I walked Cayce over to my bedroom so we could he could sleep in for the night. But more than just that. It was time for us to have something special. Something to accommodate my love for Cayce since we first laid eyes on one another. To have the best night of my life since before the dark room. And so it was happening.


	10. No Longer Exist

Chapter 10 No Longer Exist

March 8th, 2014

8:41 PM

Portland, Oregon

Osprey Apartments

I invite Cayce into my bedroom for some warm coffee. You know what kind of coffee. Even without the people I loved on the bay, I've made a new romantic acquaintance tonight. No matter how terrible it feels to just dump Chloe or Frank, Cayce was the only man I had left in my life to live with both friendly and romantically. This is where it begins.

Cayce sits down on my nice warm bed set and I lean my head towards his to touch his lips with mine. Then we caress our hands on hour heads still latching our mouths against one another's. And then Cayce leans backward on the bed sheets as I hover above still latching onto each other. And then roll on the bed switching positions to where we latch onto one another. Now the young gentleman hovers above me as I'm now the one leaning backwards on my own blankets. This was our shipping at it's best. Until a strange thing occurs.

Something had felt odd about the lips I was latching onto. I could almost feel hair on his skin. Facial hair of sorts. When I open my eyelids, I then see glasses on the man's face. Then I instantly jerk myself away from my latching raising my eyebrows in shock and dropping my jaw in horror. This was not Cayce. This was the sociopath himself hovering above me fearsomely. And I believe you know who.

"What's wrong, Rachel?" Jefferson asked maliciously. "You want this, don't you?"

The evil megalomaniac reaches for my pants and pulls them down to sexually attack me. I scream for mercy.

March 9th, 2014

7:00 AM

Portland, Oregon

Osprey Apartments

Once again, I jerk myself wide awake with a startled gasp. My alarm clock had gone off and I snoozed it. It was seven in the morning. I had been sleeping all night with Cayce under the warm blankets. The sun was up and the sky was blue outside my window. I take a breath or two to chill myself from another accursed nightmare of Mark "The Sociopath" Jefferson. I'm so glad they locked his ass up on death row. If it had been up to me, his head would fit nicely on a javelin.

Cayce was now waking up from his side of the bed. He rolled his shirtless body to my direction sees me sitting up recovering from my PTSD of Mr. Jeffersick.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked. "You look pale."

"Just a bad dream," I say. "I'm okay."

"Was it about him? About Mark?"

I didn't answer. Not that it mattered anyhow.

"Good super we had last night," said Cayce. "I'm glad I could come over."

"Me too," I said. "No problem."

"You don't mind if I use your bathroom to brush my teeth and hit the shower, do you?"

"Knock yourself out. I've got some bagels in the pantry if you want any."

"Sure, I'll have some. Just let me clean myself up and I'll fill my tummy up before heading out. Won't be long."

We get out of bed to do our thing. We slept with our clothes off all night long. I slept with my bikini and blouse. Cayce slept with his boxers. I put on my pajama clothes as Cayce stepped into my bathroom to brush his teeth and hit the shower. I walk into the kitchen to find those bagels.

I open the pantry to find the bagels inside. Then I grab some cream out of the fridge and set everything down on the counter. And then the doorbell rang again. I stop what I'm doing to answer it. Walk up to the door to let my visitor in and my visitor is none other than Derrick Crosby at my doorstep when the door is open. He smiles down at me holding a tray of warm Starbucks coffee and muffins.

"Good morning, Miss Amber," he says politely.

Oh, good morning, Mr. Crosby," I said.

"May I come in? I brought breakfast."

I let the gentlemen dressed in his suit inside and shut the door behind. He sets down the coffee and muffins on the table in the living room and we talk. He could Cayce in the bathroom brushing his teeth and showering.

"Is someone else here?" Crosby asked.

"It's just Cayce," I said. "He came here last night for dinner and he stayed the night over. What brings you here this morning?"

"I came here to talk to you about your mission brief that you and Operative Foley will be participating in a few weeks for now. Let's sit down and we'll discuss business."

I sit down on the living room couch with Crosby while eating my muffin and drinking my coffee he brought me. This is what he had to say.

"First and foremost, I've been reviewing your stellar training status for some time now and your prowess manages to exceed all my expectations in all your efforts to become the best we've ever trained," he said. "Like Blackwell before us."

"I appreciate that," I said.

"Second, we've been reviewing the notes you took on from the documents you found in Brasilia," he began. "The notes turned out to be crucial intel for the mission. Your mission, Ms. Amber, is to travel to Bolivia with Mr. Foley and take down Hugo Alvarez. The most fearsome ultra-nationalist and terrorist leader since Osama Bin Laden. Intel claims him and El Eterno is in league with Neo-Chrysalis to build super weapons to win their against the loyalist and summon the end of time. We're unsure of what that means, but we know we must put an end to it whatever means necessary. The objectives of the mission is simple. Find out what super weapons their building, take out Hugo Alvarez, and help the Bolivian loyalist win the war against El Eterno. This is what we've trained you for all these months. We expect you to come prepared."

"So this is what you've been making scarce for all these months," I said. "You want me to go down there to the other side of the planet on some suicide run to take out this Alvarez douche just to help to good guys win a civil war? And here I thought I was better off staying dead."

"Rachel, this isn't just a suicide mission we're forcing you to partake. We're actually rewarding you for doing this. Help us stop Alvarez, you get to go home back to Arcadia Bay."

I blush. Did he just say I go home after this? For real? I really could?

"That's right," he says. "This civil war you'll been entering has been the main event we've prepared you for from the start. If can actually pull this and survive this, we'll be sending you home afterward. And you'll be retired from the Chrysalis agency and will never have to be protected under Chrysalis jurisdiction for good."

"You're letting me go?" I ask. "You'll actually let me go if I help you do this?"

Crosby shakes his head.

"You mean...you mean I get to see Chloe again if I pull this off? Frank too?"

"That's right."

I don't believe this. It feels like months since I've ever heard someone say: "You finally can be with someone you love now". I'm touched. But there's a cost to this. A cost that would force me to risk my life for a matter I never asked to take part in. Is this cost really worth seeing the people I once loved in Arcadia Bay again? Is it worth holding my hands with a girl who had just reunited with her long departed just five months prior again? Let along a skeevy junkie and his dog?

"I - I don't know," I say. "I...I'm not sure, Mr. Crosby. I'm just -"

"Please, call me Derrick," he said.

"Derrick, I'm just not sure I'd want to do that. Even for all the people I care about back home. What if I don't make it back? What if I die on the mission? Worst case scenario."

"That is a risk we're wanting you to take, Rachel. Not just for your freedom, but our jurisdiction. You make it back alive, you walk away from us a free girl. If you're killed, you never existed. And Rachel Amber would have been dead a long time. Best case scenario, you don't die twice and you do us this solid just as you would for your friends back home. It's that simple. And one more thing. As far as Chrysalis is concerned, you no longer exist. Your now Rochelle Allison."

Crosby lays my new identification card and passport on the table. Declaring my new name and identity to conceal any evidence that Rachel Amber ever existed. Would I accept this identity? Or will I refuse it?

 **X/SQUARE/LM - ACCEPT NEW IDENTITY**

 **B/CIRCLE/RM - REFUSE NEW IDENTITY**

"Thank you," I say. "I'll take it."

Perhaps it's for the best that I keep myself scarce like this. That is until help Bolivia win the civil war between the country itself and El Eterno themselves. Until then, Rachel Amber will reborn for her homecoming back to the bay. This is the right thing to do for me as of this moment. The right decision to make. The right call.

"The mission will begin in just three weeks from now," said Crosby. "You and Cayce will be assigned to Captain Cage and Major Heard with a team of other operatives on your mission to Bolivia. Good luck Operative Amber. I know you won't let us down."

Then Cayce stepped inside the living where were talked with clothes on after just stepping out of the shower. Just noticing Crosby had dropped by.

"Oh, Crosby, didn't see you here," he says. "What's up?"

"Just talking to your partner here about the mission in Bolivia three weeks from now," answered Crosby. "I'll be leaving you two alone now. Have a wonderful day."

As soon as Crosby left my penthouse, Cayce sat on the couch next to me. I felt a little nervous about this mission in Bolivia I've just been assigned to. Whatever happened to Rachel Amber the dreamer of LA which is now becoming Rachel Amber the guerilla war fighter in Bolivia. At least Cayce is here for me to hold my hand.

"I don't know about you, Cayce," I say. "But I'm not sure if I want to do this."

"Don't be like that, Rachel," said Cayce. "You'll do fine. This is what we've trained you for, remember?"

"I figured I'd be more trained for covert assignments that would involve breaking and entering places with intel or whatnot. Not fighting in guerilla warfare in some country overrun by terrorist."

"That's what Chrysalis does, you know. That's they'll always do. The best advice I can offer is this. Remember your training, kick some ass, and we can get you through this. That'll be your saving grace towards stopping Alvarez and El Eterno and seeing everyone you knew in Arcadia Bay again. We're partners. And that's what partners do. This is a big deal for you, Rachel. We're all counting on you to do your best to survive this mission together. That is what we've all come to expect from you until now. So, are ready for this?"

I stop and think for a moment. But without a lot of choice, I give a direct answer.

"I'm ready," I say.

March 9th, 2014

8:02 AM

La Paz, Bolivia

Plaza Murillo

The man himself Hugo Alvarez, warmonger of Bolivia and leader of El Eterno, sat down meditating in his quarters at the Plaza Murillo with his shirt off. His legs crisscrossed, his hands holding a machete, and surrounding himself with candles. He sat there resting his eyes in meditation. Sensing an imminent threat that would thwart his plan for El Eterno.

A man walked into his quarters. A middle aged man with trench coat, a scar on his eye, and a Russian accent.

"Hugo, we've identified the girl brought to life by Chrysalis," the man said. "Her name is Rachel Amber. The popular High School girl from Arcadia Bay. Who now has powers similar to Max Caulfield's."

"And what of this Senorita Amber do they want her to do?" Alvarez asked.

"They've assigned her to come here in Bolivia and help the loyalist joining forces with Chrysalis to stop us from our plan we have for the end of time."

The Bolivian warmonger himself drew his machete and swung it over to a candle lit flickering it's flame out. Alvarez turned his head backwards to his Russian lieutenant with a disgusted grin. Infuriated by this news. Demanding an end to the new threat to El Eterno.

"Senorita Amber...must die!" Alvarez snapped to Ranikov.

 **End of Episode 1!**

 **Note: And that concludes the first episode to The Lost Daughter. As promised, I will start posting chapters for my season three story in few days from now. I will also be putting The Lost Daughter on hold to start working on season three. When I find the right time to start posting for episode two of TLD prior, which will be titled "Special Ops", I will. The hiatus of my season three story is finally over as I will begin to start writing it by the 29th as promised.**

 **Now that this first episode of TLD has concluded, you'll now understand how Rachel Amber became to be the one Mary Sue vigilante type of character she was in After the Storm and why she was more invulnerable than Michelle Rodriguez in Fast and Furious. LOL. Wish me luck on season three that will be titled "Eternity War" that will be posted three days from now. Until next time, stay tuned and thanks for reading!**

 **Torches - X Ambassador**

 **Life is Strange** **The Lost Daughter**

 **Episode 1: Requiem**

 **Voice Cast**

 **Rachel Amber... ...Erin Yvette**

 **Cayce Foley... ...Christopher Emerson**

 **Derrick Crosby... ...Peter Jessop**

 **Dr. Kara Hendricks... ...Zoe Telford**

 **Cpt. Clayton Cage... ...Chris Fries**

 **Sgt. Andrew Newblood... ...Nick Boulton**

 **SSgt. Carlos Logos... ...Alex Hernandez**

 **Maj. Cheryl Heard... ...Cindy Robinson**

 **Dr. Sebian Sorenson... ...Dwight Schultz**

 **Dr. Mitch Benson... ...Adam Harrington**

 **Kristine Prescott... ...Laura Bailey**

 **Pres. Dilma Rousseff... ...Cissy Jones**

 **Mark Jefferson... ...Derek Phillips**

 **Vladimir Ranikov... ...** **Micheal Ark**

 **Alexei Ranikov... ...Keythe Farley**

 **Hugo Alvarez... ...Robin Atkin Downes**

 **Written and Edited by**

 **WickDaLine**

 **Based on the Characters by**

 **Christian Divine**

 **Before the Storm References by**

 **Zak Gariss**

 **Soundtrack**

 **Numb/Encore - Jay Z Linkin Park**

 **Torches - X Ambassador**

 **Special Thanks**

 **Dontnod**

 **Square Enix**

 **Deck Nine**

 **Kylie Brown**

 **Michel Koch**

 **Luc Baghadoust**

 **Zak Gariss**

 **Ashly Burch**

 **tur1823**

 **and you!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights and property of to Square Enix and Dontnod Entertainment. As well as Deck Nine for their game Before the Storm who inspired me to write this prequel The Lost Daughter. Thank you.**

Next time on The Lost Daughter...

A harrier zooms above me as I gaze upon the deteriorating city of Copacabana. A fire burning the blazing hell that floods the city from miles out. The harrier bombing even more hellfire in the distance. The spark of civil war. For El Eterno has reigned hell in a once peaceful country of Bolivia and now a once peaceful city of Copacabana.


End file.
